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The fire broke out in a home at the corner of East Madison Avenue and Depew Street shortly after 10:30 a.m. Sunday, March 13. Firefighters quickly knocked it down, containing it to a single room.
No injuries were reported.
A large amount of energy -- with voltage up to three times more than other battery types -- create enough heat in lithium batteries to cause fires or explosions.
A recent study blamed more than 400 fires in a five-year period on products powered by lithium batteries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) lists precautions to help prevent lithium battery fires:
- Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for storing, using, charging and maintaining lithium-ion batteries ;
- Never use knock-offs. Always replace batteries and chargers with components that are designed and approved specifically for your device;
- Don't charge the device on flammable surfaces (a bed, a couch, a rug, a pillow);
- Remove devices and batteries from their charges once they're fully charged;
- Store the batteries in a cool, dry place. Keep them out of direct sunlight;
- Inspect your device and batteries regularly, looking for heat, swelling, noise or odor.
IMPORTANT: If your device is smoking, a fire has already started. Turn it off, use tongs or gloves to move it away from the power source (don't let it touch bare skin).
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ALSO SEE: A lithium battery made a Tesla fire difficult to douse following a crash that killed a driver from Bergen County on the Palisades Interstate Parkway, responders said. READ MORE....
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