Exploding karaoke machine destroys home in fire

Parents Emma and Jon Logan want people to be aware of the dangers of lithium batteries

A family of six have been left homeless after a house fire caused by an exploding karaoke machine.

Parents Emma and Jon Logan want to raise awareness of the dangers posed by lithium batteries.

The toy, which was under their 11-year-old daughter's bed in the loft of their Aldridge home, is suspected to have burst into flames after getting too warm during recent hot weather.

The mother and father told the BBC their home insurance policy had not automatically renewed, leaving them with no financial protection.

"It's just devastating and it's the kind of thing you never think it's going to happen to you," said Mrs Logan, 35.

"I mean how do you tell your 11-year-old that everything she has ever owned has been destroyed?

"She's obsessed with rabbits and she had a bunny of her own that she kept in her room which we lost in the fire."

The family need to find £60,000 for a new roof

The family are now living with grandparents and other relatives, and need to find £60,000 for a new roof.

The blaze, which broke out while the entire family was at work or school, destroyed the top floor of the home, and meant wedding photos and life momentos were lost.

Mr Logan, a tattoo artist, and Mrs Logan, a special needs classroom assistant, purchased the "forever home" 18 months ago after years of saving.

A fundraising page set up by Mr Logan's sister Deborah had raised just under £8,000 on Monday afternoon, for which the family expressed their appreciation.

In the fundraiser, Deborah described the scene as "utterly devastating" and said the family was "trying to do everything we can to help them recover".

"Jon and Emma have always gone above and beyond for others," she said. "Now they need a bit of kindness in return."

A fundraiser has been launched to support the family

"Our neighbour ran around when he saw the fire and [he] managed to save the dogs who were downstairs," Mrs Logan added.

"I remember seeing on our doorbell footage that loads of people were in front of the house, so popped around to have a look and realised that the fire engine that had passed me was going to my house."

The family want people to be aware of the risks posed by the batteries

The mother said she wanted other people to be aware of the potential dangers posed by popular toys.

"You have to plug it in to charge it and it plays," she explained.

"We hadn't used it for well over 12 months the batteries were just inside as normal.

"They'd just got that hot that it exploded and caused the fire."

West Midlands Fire Service said lithium ion batteries were commonly used in a variety of household devices and posed minimal risk when handled correctly.

But they warned people to be alert to changes that could indicate a problem.

They said this could include unusual odours, changes in colour, shape or size, excessive heat, leaking or strange noises.