THE Country Fire Authority (CFA) has issued a warning to community members to be careful when charging devices with lithium-ion batteries and to only buy those devices from reputable suppliers.<\/p>\n
The warning comes after an e-scooter exploded while charging in the kitchen of a home in Wendouree earlier this month, resulting in a house fire.<\/p>\n
The fire was attended to by crews from the CFA and Fire Rescue Victoria and no one was injured.<\/p>\n
Wendouree CFA Lieutenant, Kenneth Mitchell, said the response team was able to remove the hazard from the house, preventing the spread of the fire.<\/p>\n
“These devices can go off quite quickly and violently, so the best way to deal with them is to call Triple Zero at your earliest convenience. A fire extinguisher can be used in the first instance too,” he said.<\/p>\n
“For firefighters, the only way crews can alleviate the issue is to remove the hazard from the structure and then place it in a bucket of water to cool it down.<\/p>\n
“Once in the water it can pose a risk of off gassing, which is the spread of dangerous substances from inside the battery that can be let out when it catches fire.”<\/p>\n
Victorian fire services respond to lithium-ion battery fires on an almost daily basis.<\/p>\n
These batteries are contained in several common household items including mobile phones, laptops, tablets, e-scooters, e-bikes and power tools.<\/p>\n
The purchase of such devices is on the rise and, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, it is estimated that each household will have, on average, 33 lithium-ion battery powered devices by 2026.<\/p>\n
Acting assistant chief fire officer for community safety Kieran Lenehan said community members must remember to always follow appropriate safety measures for their devices.<\/p>\n
“When lithium-ion batteries are damaged, misused or fail to meet compliance standards, they pose a serious fire risk, particularly while they are connected to chargers,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Do not overcharge electric devices, only charge them when required and the safest option is to switch them off overnight before you go to bed.<\/p>\n
“We recommend charging them in the garage, on their own power point.”<\/p>\n
The CFA also recommend only using the charger supplied with the device and to avoid plugging too many items into power boards to prevent them from overheating and catching fire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE Country Fire Authority (CFA) has issued a warning to community members to be careful when charging devices with lithium-ion batteries and to only buy those devices from reputable suppliers. The warning comes after an e-scooter exploded while charging in the kitchen of a home in Wendouree earlier this month, resulting in a house fire. […]<\/p>\n