Charging laptop sparks blaze that burns through US home, firefighters say

Officials recommend not charging a device under a pillow, on a bed or a couch and avoid placing batteries in direct sunlight. — Photo by Bram Van Oost on Unsplash

A devastating house fire in Maine was ignited by a simple, routine habit: charging a laptop.

Firefighters on April 3 extinguished a fire in Gorham, a town just 10 miles west of Portland, that was caused by a charging laptop left on a bed, according to a Facebook post from the Gorham Fire Department.