PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Two fires in the area recently are being attributed to laptops.

In New Kensington earlier this week, a 62-year-old homeowner was taken to the hospital after fire broke out in the basement of his Pershing Drive home.

Ken Sublinsky, who lives across the street from the home where the fire broke out, said there was all kinds of smoke coming out of the basement and he said he heard some type of explosion.

A fire marshal said the blaze was caused by a laptop computer battery that overheated.

Last month, there was a fire in a two-story house in Carrick.

Sources tell KDKA someone inside the home was downloading a file.

The laptop was left on a couch and it overheated and ignited the furniture on fire.

Jay Armstrong, who runs Computer House Call in Sewickley, told KDKA-TV News Friday night to never place your laptop on something soft or flammable, like a mattress.

Armstrong also said, “Make certain the outlet you are using [for your laptop] is not overloaded, don’t have a lot of other stuff in the outlet.”

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Fire Destroys House In Carrick (1/8/13)
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