FIREFIGHTERS were dispatched to an Oxfordshire village after an explosion that 'sounded like a firework going off'.
Alison Rosum said she heard and saw a 'pop and a flash' in her bedroom in West Hanney, near Wantage, as she was in the en-suite bathroom yesterday morning.
In a post on Facebook, she said: "The next second [there was] a sound like a firework going off and smoke everywhere.
"A rechargeable head-torch battery had exploded and then shot across the room like a firework."
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Ms Rosum shared photos of a completely scorched carpet where the battery had caught fire, and smudges of black where it had struck walls while airborne.
The head torch had been charging while she was in the shower at about 9am, when it exploded.
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service posted on Facebook today to share a warning, describing the incident as a 'small explosion'.
It sent crews from Wantage, Didcot and Abingdon in response, but only one was needed as the fire was quickly contained.
The post said: "We ventilated the property and used a thermal image camera to check there was no further fire spread.
"As well as having working smoke alarms, we advise never to leave items on charge for long periods, ensure the plug to the charger is switched off even if its not connected, and never mix and match chargers.
"The best advice is always to follow the manufacturer's instruction."
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Mrs Rosum's husband managed to throw the flaming battery out of the window before the fire had the chance to spread.
She told the Oxford Mail she felt lucky that it had not landed on the bed or anything else flammable, as the damage could have been much worse.
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She also said she was grateful that she was at home at the time, and warned that the fire service told her it had seen more incidents recently of fires caused by electrical items on charge.
On Saturday, a fire at a house in Oxford was said to have been caused by a laptop left on charge.
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