A young boy's tablet left on charge overnight burned through his bed and mattress as he slept.
The 11-year-old miraculously avoided injury after his Samsung device gradually smouldered throughout the night, leaving a hole in his bedding and mattress, and his room covered in a layer of black soot.
The boy only became aware of the incident once he woke up in his Staffordshire home, the Manchester Evening News report.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service were made aware of the electrical fire when the boy's father visited Lichfield Community Fire Station last Thursday to report what had happened.
The tablet had been bought brand new four years ago, and had been connected to the original charger.
It was put on charge at around 9pm, and gradually smouldered throughout the night - burning through the bedding and mattress down to the springs.
Fire chiefs are now urging people never to leave items to charge on potentially flammable surfaces.
CSO and Firefighter Brad Robins, based at Lichfield Community Fire Station, said: "This family has been greatly shocked by what has happened and it serves as a stark reminder not to leave items charging on materials that could catch fire when hot.
"Always place phones and tablets on to a safe surface when charging.
"Make sure you buy genuine chargers for your items and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
"Be sure to register your product in case there is a product recall.
"Also ensure that your smoke alarms are working correctly by testing them regularly.
"This building did not have working smoke alarms which may have alerted the family to the incident earlier."
