MOULTRIE, Ga. — A fire early Wednesday morning caused by an electrical device charging on a living room couch heavily damaged one Moultrie Housing Authority apartment and caused slight damage to two others.

The fire at the 708-B Second Ave. S.E. residence of Vishondra Morten was reported at about 2:30 a.m. Friday, according to the Moultrie Fire Department.  No injuries were reported.

The apartment, which lies in between two others, suffered heavy fire damage in the living room, where the furniture was destroyed, and also smoke damage. The flames also burned a hole in the roof.

The apartments flanking the one where the fire originated had some smoke and water damage, department Fire Investigator Robin Lawson said. He cautioned people not to leave devices such as tablet computers, phone and similar devices charging in a dangerous location, especially around fabric and materials that will burn.

“People don’t realize — if you read the instructions, you’re supposed to put these on a hard surface where they have plenty of ventilation,” Lawson said. “They heat up (and) can cause a fire.”

Firefighters returned to the residence where the fire originated on Wednesday afternoon to put out a possible flare up of the fire in the apartment where it originated.

In addition to cell phones and the like, laundry can be a source of ignition of a fire, Lawson said. Clothing manufactured using synthetic materials can burst into flames if left in a ball in the dryer, a basket or on top of furniture.

The dryer “heats up the material,” he said. “The clothes decompose, generating more heat. It can catch on fire.”