Fire risk warning over faulty Beko fridge freezers

From the BBC.

Up to 500,000 fridge freezers could be posing serious fire risks in homes and businesses across the country, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has warned..

Beko has been alerted to the problem which the LFB says has caused 20 fires and one death in London since 2008. 

The company said it was contacting customers to fix the problem for free.

 Fridge freezers affected

• Fire chiefs are urging people to check if they own particular models manufactured between January 2000 and October 2006. A full list can be found here

• Anyone with concerns should contact Beko by calling their free phone number on 0800 009 4837 or visiting www.beko.co.uk

The problem occurs when water gets into the defrost timer switch, which can lead to an electrical malfunction resulting in plastic components and other highly flammable insulation inside the appliance catching on fire.

Steve Turek, assistant commissioner for fire safety regulation, said: "Any fire can be lethal but the LFB is particularly concerned about this because fires involving any sort of fridge freezer develop rapidly and produce an enormous amount of toxic smoke.