DENVER — The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is spreading awareness about an increase in fires from lithium-ion batteries, which have become increasingly popular to power common household items, like laptops, phones, tools, and toys.
This year's National Fire Prevention Week is focused on educating people on how to safely use, charge, and recycle devices with lithium-ion batteries.
Steve Gosselin, the division chief of fire prevention at North Metro Fire Rescue, said firefighters are responding to more fires caused by defective or damaged lithium-ion batteries.
"There are things that never used to have batteries that now have batteries: bicycles, scooters, cigarettes, you name it, there's probably a battery in it," said Gosselin. "The desire to have batteries that are smaller, last longer and charge more quickly has pushed everyone into the realm of lithium-ion batteries."
He said damaged lithium-ion batteries may overheat, catch fire, or even explode. Gosselin said to safely use devices with these batteries, make sure to use the charger that comes with the device and unplug the product when it's fully charged.
"Oftentimes, you'll get a product and it'll come with one charger. So a lot of people will want a charger in their car or in their bedroom or downstairs in their kitchen, in their TV room," said Gosselin. "It's important, though, to get the correct charger for the device you're charging."
He said to only buy devices that have been tested by a recognized lab to make sure they meet safety standards. You can check the product for the lab's certification mark.
Lastly, Gosselin said to properly recycle devices with lithium-ion batteries instead of throwing them in the trash. Not only can the batteries harm the environment while in a landfill, but Gosselin said they pose a fire risk if the battery is mechanically damaged.
Gosselin said fires stemming from lithium-ion batteries can be especially hard to put out because crews have to apply water directly on each of the battery's cells, which are encased in a housing.
"It's treated almost like a hazardous material situation, so we do need full PPE head to toe, self-contained breathing apparatus, which are our masks, because we're not sure exactly what kinds of products of combustion are coming off of that battery," said Gosselin.
North Metro Fire Rescue hosted a fire safety open house at Station 61 in Broomfield on Saturday. Families toured the fire station, were trained in performing CPR, and learned about lithium-ion battery safety and kitchen safety.
The fire district is hosting another open house and cookout at Station 62 on Huron Street in Northglenn from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11. Firefighters will be there to teach families about fire safety, and people can recycle old devices with lithium-ion batteries.
