Charging phones overnight: The hidden fire hazard people ignore

Charging a phone at night is an increasingly common practice. However, there is a significant reason why we should avoid this habit.

Many people charge their smartphones at night, and it's undisputable that it's a very convenient solution. When you go to bed, you know you won't be able to use your device for several hours, which seems like the perfect time to charge the battery fully. At first glance, that's precisely how the situation appears. However, not everyone is aware of the risks that come with it.

Many people believe that charging a phone overnight is entirely safe. Firefighters, however, have a different opinion based on their experiences with fires and solid statistical data. An increasing number of fires are being explicitly caused by phones charging overnight. Although this number is currently smaller than the number of fires caused, for example, by a short circuit in an electric kettle, it has been growing year by year.

How can a phone plugged in at night catch fire? Every electrical device has the potential to short-circuit while charging. However, phones have another factor that increases the risk: phone stress, which manufacturers call phone stress.

When your smartphone reaches a full charge, it automatically stops drawing power. If it's on and its charge drops slightly below 100 percent, it starts charging again.

This process can repeat multiple times throughout the night— the device charges up, cuts off power, and starts drawing energy again. Under such conditions, the risk of a short circuit and the device catching fire increases. Therefore, it's worth paying attention to this.