A shocked TikTok user discovered that a broken charging cable nearly burned down her house.
Jules, who goes by TikTok name @homesteadingmommasaga, revealed in a recent article video She posted on the social media platform that a USB-C charging cable could have potentially caused a house fire.
The TikTokker explained that she was about to leave her house, just before she started smelling something burning.
“There was definitely something warm… I looked around and panicked because I smelled something,” Jules said.
Jules explained her situation further to commentators. Some noted that chargers could set houses on fire.
A TikTok user named Jules explained in a video that her house nearly burned down after a USB-C charging cable was left on a blanket
Jules noted in the comments of her video that her USB-C charging cable was “fairly new” and “barely used.”
Jules explained in her September 8 video exactly what happened and how it all started with the decision to charge her son’s tablet.
According to the TikTokker, her son had unplugged the power cord and left it on a blanket.
“The charging cord had been sitting on the blanket for about 4 hours. It randomly started lighting up when I walked into the house,” Jules wrote.
The shocked homeowner then showed off her now-bent USB-C cord and the hole it had created in what she described as a regular blanket.
“I had been looking at it for hours before while sitting on the couch. I just hadn’t thought to unplug the cord end from the blanket,” she wrote.
She also said that her son cried when he saw the hole because the blanket was a gift his aunt had given him.
Jules plans to buy a new charger and she urges other TikTok users to unplug unnecessary cords to prevent potential house fires.
“This was the first time this happened to me. Several people have posted and said their house burned down or the same thing happened to them,” she wrote.
USB-C charging cables are common household items that anyone can use to charge electronics, but they can also pose a fire hazard
USB-C charging cables, commonly used for electronics like iPads and iPhones, pose a potential fire hazard if damaged or left plugged in after a device is fully charged.
The location of the cord can also be important, especially since soft surfaces, such as Jules’ blanket, can generate heat and start a fire.
TikTok users were happy to learn something new and several people came up with ideas on how to prevent a house fire.
TikTok users have offered advice on what Jules should do in the future to prevent potential house fires
“I always unplug the power cord. A phobia of mine, before I leave the house,” wrote one commenter.
Another person noted, “I put all the electronics in the kitchen. I’m afraid of them in the bedroom at night. It’s like smoking a cigarette in bed when I was younger.”
Others shared their own household horror stories involving the use of charging cables, with at least two commenters claiming their chargers were “brand new” when they overheated.
“That happened to me a few years ago! The charger was in the carpet. I was shocked too,” wrote one TikToker.