Electric bicycle battery sparks Citrus County house fire: CCFR
HOMOSASSA, Fla. - A Citrus County house fire is being blamed on an electric bicycle battery that was charging.
What we know:
According to Citrus County Fire Rescue, crews were sent to a home on S. Lookout Point in Homosassa shortly after 1 a.m. on Tuesday for a reported house fire.
When they arrived, firefighters reported seeing a double-wide mobile home with light smoke emanating from the open front door.
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Firefighters said they found several people inside, including one who required assistance, and helped them exit. They all declined further medical treatment at the scene.
"The smoke alarms play a big role in that," Fire Marshal Mike Simek said. "So unfortunately, a lot of homes don't have smoke alarms. They just take them down when they start beeping, don't put fresh batteries back in them. In this case, it was reported that the smoke alarms did alert the homeowners."
According to CCFR, the fire had been mainly knocked out before firefighters arrived using a garden hose.
Courtesy: Citrus County Fire Rescue
Firefighters removed smoldering items from a bedroom area and confirmed there was no extension of the fire inside the home.
The fire caused about $10,000 in property loss and $5,000 in contents loss, according to CCFR.
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Dig deeper:
The fire was deemed accidental, originating in a bedroom where a battery for an electric bicycle was charging.
"The batteries were stored on top of a pile of clothes inside of a closet," Simek explained. "And the flames and heat went upward into the closet above it and throughout the home. So, it was extensive smoke damage as well."
What they're saying:
Simek says lithium ion batteries, which are commonly used for e-bikes and other devies, can ignite if they're damaged.
"Usually they start through something is wrong with the batteries," he said. "If it's been damaged, if it's been improperly charged or just abused or tampered with."
He says that can happen if they're not stored or charged properly.
Courtesy: Citrus County Fire Rescue
"They can go into thermal runaway, so when that happens, there's really not much you can do to stop it," he said. "You just have to let it burn itself out or use copious amounts of water to cool it down, and they get very, very hot."
Simek says these batteries can reach up to 1,000 degrees quickly.
"Always inspect them for any damage," he said. "If you see any swelling or cuts or nicks or any damage or they're hot, bring them to an approved disposal site."
Fire officials encourage people to charge and store all batteries, especially lithium ion batteries safely. They say you also shouldn't leave these batteries charging unattended or overnight.
"Charge these batteries safely with manufacturer recommendations, use your smoke alarms and leave them outside if possible in a protected area so they don't get wet," Simek said.
The Source: This article was written with information found in a press release from Citrus County Fire Rescue.