LANCASHIRE has recorded the fourth highest amount of fires started by e-cigarette equipment in the whole of the United Kingdom in the past two years, new figures reveal.

Seven blazes in the county were caused by e-cigs or chargers, with only Greater Manchester, West Midlands and South Yorkshire recording more.

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The data, released by the Press Association, shows that the number of e-cig related fire call-outs has rocketed by 675 per cent since 2012. Just eight occurred nationally in 2012, with 43 in 2013 and 62 so far this year.

John Taylor, spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said the numbers were ‘small’, but that the emergency services ‘would not be complacent’ in tackling the issue.

He said: “We have got a specialist who looks into incidents like this. It’s most notable that we’re talking about very small numbers here – that’s the point I’d like to make but like I said, we are not complacent. I would stress to people using these products to make sure they come for a reputable source that meets British standards.

“Most of these incidents come from the charger over-heating, certainly that’s our experience in Lancashire. Thankfully there haven’t been any tragedies here where people have been injured or homes have been burnt down.”

A 62-year-old man, David Thomson, died in August when a charging e-cigarette exploded and ignited oxygen equipment he was using at his home in Wallasey, Merseyside.

Mr Taylor added that while e-cigarettes attracted more attention, fires related to unsafe lithium batteries used in many electrical products, including children’s toys, posed more of a danger.

The Chief Fire Officers Association said: “Always use the correct charger and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Never charge a battery that has signs of damage, that has been dropped, or has been subjected to impact and never plug a charger into a non-approved power transformer.”