Dog sparks house fire from chewing on lithium-ion battery device
By Heidi Kirk
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North Carolina (WRAL) — Video shared with WRAL News shows the moment a lithium-ion battery caught fire inside a home, feet away from a dog.
The dog, Colton, set off the fire after chewing on a battery-powered device.
His owner, David Sasser, a firefighter for the Chapel Hill Fire Department, said he received an alert from his security system about the fire.
“[My] heart sank. I had no idea what was going on. I had no clue what it could possibly be and came home to find that the rug had burned up,” he said.
Sasser said his family wasn’t home when it happened, but they were nearby and responded quickly.
“Thankfully, it pretty much fizzled out because of the rug and because we were home so quickly,” he said. “[The rug] was the only thing we lost.”
WRAL has reported on the dangers of lithium-ion batteries before.
Durham Fire Chief Robert Zoldos said the batteries have become a more common fire hazard over time.
“What we are really concerned about as a fire department is how they are disposed of at the end of their life,” he said. “If not, it can lead to some very bad circumstances.”
Though generally safe, they can spark fires when damaged, overcharged, improperly stored, or disposed of incorrectly.
“When you’re done charging them, you have to really pay attention and unplug them. You have to make sure you store them where they can’t get broken or cracked or chewed on by a dog, and then when you’re done with them, they have to be disposed of in a specific way.”
In Raleigh, these batteries have been linked to about a dozen fires over the past year. In Durham, two trash trucks caught fire after lithium batteries were improperly thrown away.
Sasser said this close call with Colton is a reminder to use his experience to help others stay safe.
“We learned to be really aware of things in our home and to operate them safely,” he said.
Wake, Durham, and Orange counties offer locations where batteries and other dangerous items can be discarded safely.
Here’s how you can reduce battery-related fires in your home:
Charge devices safely, using only the charger provided and keeping devices on hard, non-flammable surfaces. Buy certified products with safety listings such as UL, ETL or CSA. Never overcharge devices or leave them charging overnight.
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