By Ginger Allen, Lexi Salazar, Mike Lozano
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Texas (KTVT) — Lithium-ion batteries power phones, scooters and electric cars — but the increasingly common energy source can spark fires so intense that they challenge veteran firefighters.
The fires burn hotter, require more water to put out and spew more toxins than a normal fire, according to experts.
In an effort to learn more about this growing danger, the CBS News Texas I-Team partnered with several North Texas fire departments and the Fire Prevention Association of North Texas, or F.P.A.N.T. While local departments are banding together to establish best practices, there are still many unknowns and challenges when it comes to facing these fires.
Lithium-ion battery fires, a growing threat Leander resident Shaun Noll, a father of two, said it feels like yesterday when he received a chilling call his son made from his neighbor’s home. His 10-year-old and 13-year-old sons were alone at home when a fire sparked. The boys made it out safely, but their two cats died and the entire interior of their home was destroyed.
Fire investigators traced the fire to a lithium-ion battery inside a vacuum. Even as an electrician, Noll said the device was a threat he didn’t know to be aware of.
“People have more devices plugged into their house than I ever did,” Noll said. “People just need to be diligent and take this problem seriously, because it’s a real threat.”
As more products contain lithium-ion batteries, the threat grows.
Safety group UL Solutions has been tracking lithium-ion battery cases globally, dating back to 1995. Since the group started tracking, it’s documented 17,400 incidents, 4,562 injuries and 679 deaths — with a significant increase in incidents over the past five years.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has logged hundreds more, with incidents from products ranging from radios, power tools, massage guns and even shoes.
So far this year, from phones and vapes alone, Parkland Hospital has reported 13 battery-related burns.
“We’re not trying to scare everybody, we’re just trying to make sure you’re aware,” said Craig Trojacek, public information officer with the Fort Worth Fire Department.
Mike Rockne, arson investigator with the Celina Fire Department, said he thinks one of the main problems stems from the fact that not everyone is aware of how common the threat is. He walked the I-Team through a typical North Texas home to show just how many lithium-ion batteries are in many homes.
“Good news is, there’s a lot of ways to mitigate those hazards and keep your home as safe as possible,” Rockne said.
Lithium-ion batteries: Fire threat and toxic gases Locally, fire departments across North Texas have collaborated on the best ways to respond to these incidents.
University Park Fire Marshal Marty Corn said the e-bikes and scooters used by students at Southern Methodist University haven’t caused a fire on campus yet, but she worries it’s a matter of time.
“We already know, because we’ve already had an incident here,” Corn said.
The incident, Corn said, started inside a lab at Highland Park High School when a science project with a lithium-ion battery overheated. Video recorded by students of the incident showed the device offloading gas.
“This gas is the stuff that’s inside the battery, it’s toxic,” Corn said. “And it has all kinds of things you should not be inhaling in it.”
Corn said the device was left on the charger too long, a common culprit in lithium-ion battery fires. A damaged battery can also be dangerous, and that damage can happen just from dropping a laptop or phone.
F.P.A.N.T. and local fire departments told CBS News Texas the toxins these devices emit are one challenge for crews responding to these fires. The intensity of the flames is another. To complicate matters further, there’s not a lot of data on how best to put out these fires.
North Texas firefighters test new tactics against battery blazes At Tarrant County College, Euless Fire teamed up with F.P.A.N.T., setting a car on fire, to show the I-Team two battle tactics they’re testing.
One is what’s called a turtle nozzle. In the event of an electric car fire, the steel nozzle slides under the vehicle to blast powerful streams of water into battery compartments.
“It’s very low profile and it has capabilities of delivering up to 500 gallons per minute of water,” said Euless Fire Captain Chris Sutterfield.
The other tactic is a fire blanket. But this one comes with a challenge. In May, UL Solutions issued a warning about the blankets, stating they may pose an explosion risk by trapping the dangerous gases that lithium-ion battery fires emit.
“The standard for the fire service is not spelled out to what we actually need to do to put out these electric vehicle fires,” Sutterfield said.
So, for now, many local fire departments have them as an option. The Fort Worth Fire Department has these blankets on all 71 trucks, but they are also arming themselves with other options. One is what they call an EV plug.
“It disables the vehicle to the point to where it puts itself in park and it won’t drive off on us,” said Trojacek.
The department has also put tow kits inside all the fire chief cars. In the event that an electric car ignites in a garage, firefighters can drag it out onto the street to decrease the risk that the fire spreads to the home. This tactic has also been used in fires in both Lewisville and Plano.
“It was quick thinking,” said Plano Fire Battalion Chief of Special Operations Ryan Clark. “Those guys on the scene recognized a potential lithium-ion battery fire and what it was going to take to put that put, so removing it from that situation made the situation better.”
The fire departments are also communicating on how best to tackle another challenge: the risk these fires will reignite hours, or even days later. That risk is why departments quarantine cars for 14 days after a fire. It’s also why when the lithium-ion battery-powered device caught fire at Highland Park High School, firefighters brought it back to the station, submerged it in a bucket of water, and watched it for several hours.
F.P.A.N.T. and the firefighters we spoke with emphasized that these complications only emphasize the importance of cross-department sharing.
“Every day we learn something different,” said Clark. “So, we just try to stay up to speed.”
Protecting North Texas families Pretty much any device that is rechargeable contains a lithium-ion battery. The technology is common, but there are best safety practices to protect yourself:
Before you buy anything with a lithium-ion battery, take the time to see if it has a stamp from a nationally recognized testing lab. Only use the charging cable that comes with the product. If you have to replace a charger, only buy from the manufacturer. Avoid off-brand chargers. Do not overcharge your device. Unplug it once it’s at 100%. Only charge your device on a hard surface — not under your pillow or on a soft surface like a bed or couch. Charge big devices like bikes, scooters and power tools outside.
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