Attempted Arson Suspect Located! Tablet Fire Nearly Takes Out PA Family

A York, PA family is glad to have their lives and most of their property intact after an attempt was made to murder them.  They were nearly killed in their sleep by the suspect, but fortunately it was a small fire and they were able to escape safely.

Their York, PA Renters Insurance is covering the damage to their property, and likely will cover any damage to the apartment under their liability coverage, but who tried to kill them, and why?  The answer will shock you when you learn about this tablet fire!

How Did This Family End Up Almost Losing Their Lives In A Tablet Fire?

This York family, who lives in an apartment complex just off Market Street on the east end of town just outside the city, had readied themselves for bed and had planned a normal night’s sleep before going off to work and school the next morning.  As usual, they plugged in their devices to charge for the evening, and were ready to call it a day.  The attempt on their lives happened just before they fell asleep, fortunately.  One of the adults in the household was using an app that purported to track his sleep and breathing by the way he moved around on the bed, so he laid the plugged in tablet between his pillow and mattress.

Just minutes later, before drifting off, he smelled smoke that was too close for comfort and sat up to investigate it.  The pillow had been smoldering, and as soon as he took his weight off it, air was able to rush into the smoldering area and the pillow burst into flames.  The fire was quickly extinguished, and only caused about a thousand dollars of damages, which the family’s York, PA Renters Insurance is likely to cover, but that tablet fire could easily have killed the entire family in their sleep.

Are Tablet Fires Frequent? Should I Worry About The Risk?

Arson is perhaps a bit strong of a word, since that requires a sentient actor, but there’s no question that the tablet did make a valiant effort to set the pillow, the room, and the entire home on fire, which would have been a life or death matter while they were sleeping.  A tablet fire is not a common occurrence, but they’re also not uncommon.  Tablets get hot, and when you put them in places without airflow, or against flammable surface, you’re taking a significant risk of fire.

Tablet fires and phone charger fires are a somewhat infrequent, but still concerning, cause of apartment fires.  A tablet fire might be more dangerous than some types, because the best opportunity for it to happen is when the device is plugged in, which often coincides with when people are sleeping and not likely to notice a small fire in time.  This tablet fire ended with little damage done, but that’s not always the case.

Tips To Protect Your Family From Tablet Fires

• Never place an electronic device, charging or otherwise, on or between bedding or other flammable materials, especially ones that restrict airflow.
• Feel your charger from time to time.  If it’s more hot than usual, that’s a sign there may be a risk.  Chargers are cheap.  Replace it.
• If an electronic device is hotter than usual, turn it off and investigate.  Make sure you look at the surface on which it had been placed for burn marks or other indications of heat.
• Tablet fires are often caused by older devices that have exceeded their useful service life.  If feasible, upgrade at reasonable intervals (every few years).
• If you sense too much heat or smell smoke or something smoldering, get out.  The contents of your apartment can be replaced easily by York, PA Renters Insurance, but you can’t be replaced.  Let the fire department investigate the fire or smoldering, your only job is to ensure the safety of yourself and your household.

Other than those safety tips, the single best way to protect yourself and your family is to call (800)892-4308 or click to get covered - whether you need Pennsylvania renters insurance quotes online or coverage anywhere else!

Effective Coverage offers the nation's only completely mobile platform to quote and purchase renters insurance right from your phone or tablet in just one minute. Get an online renters insurance quote today and protect your family..  Personal property coverage protects against tablet fires and many other named perils, liability coverage protects you if the landlord sues you for the damage from a tablet fire, and loss of use coverage makes sure you have somewhere to stay after a covered loss.  It’s the only way to truly protect yourself from the risks that just can’t be predicted but with which life is fraught.