Ann Arbor Fire Department warns of lithium-ion batteries after apartment fire
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The Ann Arbor Fire Department says an early morning apartment fire could have easily killed someone had their smoke detector not been working.
Now, they're sounding the alarm about the fire's seemingly inconspicuous origins.
Fire crews arrived at the 1000 block of Pontiac Trail around 7 a.m. Friday, only to find an electric scooter in flames on the front lawn. They say a fire isn't the only thing to worry about when it comes to malfunctioning lithium-ion batteries.
"There is no question a life was saved today because of working smoke detectors," said Ann Arbor Fire Chief Mike Kennedy.
Kennedy said this close call not only proves how important working smoke detectors can be but also the importance of knowing what to do if you sense something wrong with a lithium-ion battery.
"The scooter wasn't working correctly yesterday. It was fully charged. The second they start not working properly, you should leave them outside, ideally ten feet from a residence or any sort of structure for a minimum of 24 hours," he said.
Instead, the scooter was stored inside, blocking the unit's only exit. Smoke detectors gave the resident enough time to throw the scooter outside, but not without breathing in smoke and getting minor burns.
"All smoke is toxic, but what's burning is heavy metals, so you really couldn't get worse than a very, very nasty, a very, very dangerous fume that is coming off of these [batteries]," Kennedy said.
The department says to be aware of warning signs like pungent odors, blistering of the battery casing, leaking fluid, high battery temperatures, or actual popping, hissing, and smoke coming from it.
"I think this is the sixth fire in the City of Ann Arbor that we've had that we've determined it was likely a lithium-ion battery," Kennedy said.
He also reminds folks to wear gloves when handling faulty lithium-ion batteries to protect their hands from chemical burns.
Even if the battery in your electric mobility device is working fine, the main point is never to store it in front of exits because, in the event of a fire, that may be your only way out.
