Preventing fires from lithium-ion batteries

Could you prevent a potential fire in your home by handling lithium-ion batteries the right way?

A fire in South Lee County was caused by a thermal runaway in a detached garage, from lithium-ion batteries plugged into a battery charger. An e-bike at Fountain View Circle in Naples went up in flames due to lithium-ion batteries not being properly used.

“Right now, we need to make sure that we are only charging lithium-ion batteries until they’re at 100%. Or at that green full mark, and we must unplug them,” said Amy Bollen.

Bollen is the director of public relations for South Trail Fire and Rescue District in Fort Myers. She said people sometimes don’t realize that mistakes can be made when charging lithium-ion batteries.

“Some people leave their products charging at all times. Like at 100%, all the time, but that is actually causing damage to the lithium-ion batteries, and when batteries get damaged, they can explode and cause very hot, rapid-growing fires quickly,” said Bollen.

When it comes to charging lithium-ion batteries, green means stop.

According to Bollen, lithium-ion batteries are pretty common among most devices.

“Even children’s toys, from battery-powered products or battery-powered cars or radio-controlled cars, those are all lithium ions,” said Bollen.

No one was hurt in the two lithium-ion fires in Southwest Florida. Firefighters shared safety tips to prevent them:

• Always charge lithium-ion battery-powered devices on a hard surface.
• Green means stop. Do not keep your device plugged in after it is fully charged.
• Always unplug your device and only use the cord that came with the device, not a cord from a third-party supplier such as a gas station or Amazon.