Charlie and Naga both had laptops placed next to them on the sofa (Picture: BBC One)
The London Fire Brigade has warned BBC Breakfast presenters about where they place their laptops as seen while live on-air, explaining that their devices can become overheated in certain scenarios.
On today’s programme (Saturday December 10), Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty presented alongside one another in the BBC studio.
At various points during the show, laptops could be seen next to each of the co-hosts on the red sofa, placed on top of piles of paper.
In a tweet shared while the programme was still being broadcast, the London Fire Brigade outlined why leaving laptops in this manner can be risky.
‘Not for the first time we’re reminding @BBCBreakfast presenters not to have their laptops on the sofa and even worse on top of paper,’ the fire brigade said.
‘Using them on a fabric surface or paper can result in a lack of airflow & can cause them to overheat.’
In the tweet, the London Fire Brigade included a picture of Charlie and Naga sitting on the BBC Breakfast sofa, with a laptop visible on the right hand side, as well as a second image showing a laptop that had been burnt.
Some people responded to the tweet by speculating whether the laptops in question were props, rather than computers that were actually being used by Charlie and Naga.
Someone else wrote: ‘Working in IT I find people just do not understand the temperatures these devices run at & even seen people have had their legs burnt when resting laptops on their laps.’
‘This has never occurred to me so worth retweeting,’ another Twitter user remarked.
The London Fire Brigade explained that laptops could become overheated if put on top of paper (Picture: BBC)
On the website for the Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, the organisation emphasises the risk of fires caused by electrical items in the home.
‘We attend around 60 fires each year which start from an electrical issue, such as a laptop or desktop PC, wiring, cables, or plugs. This includes chargers for devices,’ they said.
One of the tips included: ‘Charge your device on a hard, safe surface, and never on a carpet or bed (and definitely never under a pillow).’
They also said to ‘never leave a device charging unattended’, and to ‘always use the charger that came with your device and don’t buy a fake replacement’.
A separate page recalled an incident when a laptop had been left on a carpet floor, causing it to catch fire due to its fans becoming blocked.
‘Electrical items shouldn’t be left unattended on carpets where they can easily overheat and catch fire,’ the fire service said.
Metro.co.uk has contacted the BBC for comment.
BBC Breakfast airs every day from 6am on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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The fire brigade said it wasn’t the first time they’ve issued the warning.
