UK fire: Woman issues electric blanket warning after home damaged in blaze - causing ‘£50k of damage’

A Lancashire woman has issued a warning after her house was "destroyed" when her electric blanket burst into flames - despite being switched off.

Megan Hassall, 24, had only been living in her three bedroom terraced house for two months when she got a call to say it was on fire on December 30 2024.

Her living room and hallway were destroyed and soot had "damaged" all of her walls and belongings after the fire brigade "had to break down all the doors" to prevent the spread of the fire. She was told the blaze was started by her electric blanket - which was not on, but the switch was "on" at the wall socket.

Megan had to move in with her boyfriend Sam Price, 25, for a year until she received insurance for the £50,000 worth of damages seven months after the fire - and in December 2025, she moved back into the property after replacing everything. She now wants to "warn" homeowners about the use of electric blankets and says to "unplug them when they’re not in use.”

Megan, from Preston, who had just spent £3,000 renovating her home before the blaze, said: "Be careful with your electrical blankets. I thought I did everything right. The remote for the blanket was off but the plug was accidentally left on. It meant the blanket was in standby mode receiving power - and it caused a spark. It was a horrible way to end 2024."

Megan was 30 minutes away at her boyfriend's house for New Year in St Annes-on-Sea, Lancashire, when the local fire brigade called her. According to Megan, it was a neighbour who first noticed the fire after they could "smell smoke from across the street."

Megan said: "One of my neighbours a couple of doors down started smelling smoke and went to see what was going on. They told me how they came to look through the lounge window and couldn't see a single thing because of smoke. And one of them burned their hand on the glass. They thought I was still in there and called the fire services."

Megan received the distressing call two hours into her dinner and immediately said she "knew it was an electrical fire."

When she returned home, she described the scene as a "nightmare" and was "heartbroken" about the damage to her new property. Although the blaze was mainly controlled to the hallway and living room, the house was left "uninhabitable" for six months.

She said: "I only received the keys two months prior. I had spent over £3,000 renovating the property on a new kitchen, new carpets and all the walls painted - making it my own. Even though some of my stuff were still in boxes, I was fully living there."

The incident left Megan's house entirely covered in soot - leaving all her walls grey - and she was forced to move in with her boyfriend full time. It also left all the doors and windows in her house "completely shattered" after the fire fighters broke them down to see if anyone was in the house.

Megan later found out the root cause of the fire had been an electric blanket on her living room sofa which had "sparked while it was turned off." The throw was a gift from a work colleague she received earlier that year and was mainly controlled by a remote.

She said: "At some point in your life you will be taught to unplug your electric blankets when they’re not in use. It is VERY important that you do that. I thought I was doing the right thing by just turning the blanket off by its remote. But little did I know that the blanket can still be a fire risk, even if it's just plugged in at the wall."

Megan claims the total damage was around £50,000. Fortunately after seven long months, Megan received a payout from her insurance company covering some of the costs. Now, over a year later, she has forked out thousands to reverse the damages - moving back into the property in December 2025.

She says "most" of the house has been repaired - with only a few rooms left to do - but that you "can't tell there was a fire there at all." Megan claims it will be a "long time" until she can trust electric blankets and has recently purchased a fire safety pack for her home. She has now warned homeowners about the blankets' dangers and frequently gives advice about making sure everything is switched off.

Megan said: "You can't be 100 per cent safe. Whether the switch is on or off, as long as the plug is still in the socket, there is still a fire risk. Even if it's been hours since your blanket has been turned off.

"I've been told from the insurance company that even certain models of blankets are more risky. The more throw-type of blankets, which are newer to market, have wires in them which are more likely to crumple and are much bigger risk. I've definitely learned my lesson and I now always make sure the switch is off and the plug is out. It's a silly mistake which can cost you everything."