Samsung tablet burnt through boy's mattress down to metal springs while he slept

Firefighters in England issued a serious warning after a boy's Samsung tablet burnt a hole in his mattress while he slept.

The Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said in a press release that it was alerted to the incident after the 11-year-old's father called the Lichfield Community Fire Station early on June 20.

Officials responding to the family's Burntwood, U.K., home found that the electronic device had overheated and burnt a hole through the child's bedding and mattress — right down to the metal springs — while the child was right next to it.

"Fortunately for the family, it did not develop into a full fire but had smoldered throughout the night," the service wrote in a statement. "When the boy awoke the next morning, he discovered the hole in his bed, and his room was covered in a layer of black soot."

Officials shared photos depicting the aftermath of the incident to encourage tech users to be "mindful when charging tablets and mobile phones."

Photo: Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service

According to the service, the family purchased the tablet brand new four years ago. It was apparently connected to a Samsung charger and became overheated after it was left plugged in from 9 p.m. the night before the incident.

Community Safety Manager and Firefighter Brad Robins, who is based at the Lichfield Community Fire Station, said the family was "greatly shocked" by what happened.

"It serves as a stark reminder not to leave items charging on materials that could catch fire when hot," he said. "Always place phones and tablets on to a safe surface when charging. Make sure you buy genuine chargers for your items and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Be sure to register your product in case there is a product recall. Also ensure that your smoke alarms are working correctly by testing them regularly. This building did not have working smoke alarms which may have alerted the family to the incident earlier."