Wash. — The State Fire Marshal’s Office is warning the public about the dangers of Lithium-ion batteries.
“Lithium-ion batteries supply power to many kinds of devices including smartphones, laptops, e-scooters, bikes, cigarettes, smoke alarms, toys, and even cars,” said a spokesperson. “If damaged or used incorrectly, these batteries can catch on fire or explode.”
According to a report published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 208 fire incidents from 2021 to November 2022.
Those incidents resulted in 19 fatalities and were caused by lithium-ion battery fires or overheating.
“An increasing number of events have occurred across the United States and continue to grow as the number of battery-operated devices hit the consumer market in the quest for clean energy,” said a spokesperson.”
Follow these safety tips to safely handle lithium-ion batteries:
- Purchase and use devices that are listed by a qualified testing laboratory.
- Only use charging cords that come with the device.
- Do not charge a device under your pillow, on your bed, or on a sofa.
- Do not keep charging the device or device battery after it is fully charged.
- Only use the battery that is designed for the device.
- Store batteries away from anything that can catch fire.
- Put batteries in the device the right way.
- Keep batteries at room temperature when possible