Lithium Battery Causes Garage Fire In Mahopac While Homeowner Vacations

A homeowner in the Hudson Valley came home from vacation to discover that a lithium battery had started a fire in their garage while they were gone, fire officials said.

A tool powered by lithium-ion batteries sparked a small blaze in a garage inside a Mahopac residence, firefighters said.
Photo Credit: *Mahopac Fire Department*

Ben Crnic

07/27/2023 3:30 p.m.

The incident happened on Tuesday, July 18 just after 2 p.m., when members of the Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department were sent to a residence in the hamlet to respond to a report of a possible structural fire.

According to the department, the call came from a homeowner who had returned after six days away on vacation to find their single-car garage covered in soot and the charred remains of some of their belongings.

An investigation into the source of the fire determined that it had been sparked by a lithium-ion battery tool that had been stored in the garage. After the item ignited, the fire was luckily able to burn itself out because the garage was tightly sealed off from the interior and exterior of the home, fire officials said.

The department used the blaze as an example to warn residents to be mindful when using and storing items powered by lithium-ion batteries. The items should be rated and approved by Underwriters Laboratories, they added.

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