VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Lithium-ion battery fires can be especially dangerous because they give off toxic gases and burn extremely fast. It’s important for people to be aware of the dangers of these batteries since many have them in their homes without realizing it. Many cell phones, laptops, and even golf carts can have lithium-ion batteries.
News 6 spoke with Bill Whalen, the division chief for Volusia County Fire and Rescue. He told us he is seeing an uptick in lithium-ion fires and shared some safety tips.
“...Any time you have a product with a lithium battery in it, you definitely want to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations, especially with the safety issues of that,” Whalen said. “When you charge your lithium batteries, once they’re fully charged, you do want to unplug them, that’s very important. If you need to buy parts for your product or a new battery or a charging cord, please don’t buy aftermarket parts, buy the manufacturer of whatever product you’re using.”
If a lithium battery catches on fire in your home or near you, do not use water to put it out. Water makes the fire worse and causes more toxic gases to enter the atmosphere.
Whalen also told us not to use common ABC fire extinguishers.
“... That is what people will reach for. It will not extinguish a lithium battery fire. Call 911 immediately and let firefighters safely put out the fire,” said Whalen.
If you want to learn more about lithium-ion batteries, the National Fire Protection Association website has more tips and videos.
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