After four significant fires destroyed or damaged homes in the Luling and Boutte area over the past several weeks, the Luling Volunteer Fire Department is warning the public about a hazard linked to all four incidents.
Three of those fires occurred over the past eight weeks alone. LVFD Fire Chief Barry Minnich said that all of the fires were caused by battery failures, specifically lithium ion batteries commonly found in numerous modern tools and mobile devices. Minnich said that the structure fires in these incidents were caused by a cell phone charger, wireless speaker, a motorized scooter and a breast pump.
“We had two houses that were total losses and two others had significant damage – the structural part was OK but the interior needed a complete overhaul,” Minnich said. “We traced all of them back to failures of battery packs. So, we’re trying to warn the public. Most of us don’t look for recalls … some of these things are sitting at home in a garage, not being used but being charged, and they overheat – and it causes a major problem.”
Another major problem: these rechargeable batteries are not niche items. They’ve emerged as the power source for cell phones, construction tools, medical devices, scooters and cars.
“More and more young people get electronic devices as gifts. It’s the day and age that we live in,” Minnich said. “Everything is electronic and with that, there’s a greater demand, and the more product you’re going to get.”
Unfortunately, sometimes quality can be compromised, he said.
“Most come from overseas … a certain amount come with second grade batteries that aren’t top shelf like others, and those fail quicker,” Minnich said. “The general consumer doesn’t know which they’re getting – they’re shipped over and you get what you get.”
As a warning posted to the LVFD’s webpage noted last week, there are risks associated with lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion battery fires can occur due to overheating, overcharging, physical damage, and other factors, leading to thermal runaway and potential explosions.
Minnich said that to mitigate the risk, one should be mindful to not overcharge devices or leave them charging unattended for long periods of time.
“Have situational awareness. When you leave the house, don’t leave it charging,” Minnich said. “Make the effort to unplug your devices.”
That can even include a laptop computer. Minnich recalled a situation where a laptop was left charging on a kitchen table – it exploded due to catastrophic battery failure.
Issues can also arise when the original charger of a device fails and a new one is purchased. A charger not specified to a particular make or model has a tendency to overheat and that can cause failure, Minnich said.
With the rise in use of electric vehicles, there is a greater use of large battery packs along with them.
“And when those fail, they ignite at 1,500 degrees or higher,” Minnich said.
These batteries can also be recalled, and Minnich said that doing a bit of research into a product and its manufacturer for potential recalls could save a lot of pain in the long run.
“The speaker amp that caused the fire here – that particular amp had in excess of 4,100 recalls since 2019,” Minnich said. “And the general consumer isn’t going to know that. So, one thing you can do as a preventative measure is to go to that manufacturer’s website and see if there have been any recalls.”
Minnich said that three of the four fires occurred with nobody home. The fourth happened overnight, with a resident awakening to the sound of a loud explosion.
“They didn’t know what it was, but the house started filling up with smoke. Thankfully they got out unscathed,” Minnich said.
Lithium-ion battery fires happen for a variety of reasons, such as physical damage (the battery is penetrated or crushed or exposed to water), electrical damage (overcharging or using charging equipment not designed for the battery), exposure to extreme temperatures and product defects.
A device running warm for no reason or with warped casing can indicate a battery is failing. Sometimes a failing battery can cause an uncommon odor.
Some preventative tips from the LVFW include:
*Purchase batteries that are only listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory and labeled accordingly.
• Stop charging a battery once it is full.
• Use charging equipment that is only compatible with your device. To be safe, use only the charging equipment that is supplied with your device.
• Stop using your device if the battery shows signs of damage, such as an unusual odor, excessive heat, popping sounds, swelling, or change in color.
• Have all repairs performed by a qualified professional.
