October 5 through October 11 will be Fire Prevention Week, and the National Fire Protection Association is calling attention to the dangers posed by lithium-ion batteries.
Most of us now carry one of those batteries with us all the time, but they can catch fire and burn uncontrollably. St. Joseph Department of Public Safety Deputy Director Mike Phelps tells us lithium-ion batteries can overheat if you leave them on the charger too long.
“Inside a lithium-ion battery, there’s several small battery cylinders, almost like a AA battery,” Phelps said. “If one of those gets thermal runaway, so it overheats, it’s very difficult to contain. So it will burst others, and it’ll continue to burn.”
They’ll even continue to burn when submerged in water. Another tip is to only leave them on hard surfaces when charging. Phelps says fortunately, St. Joseph Public Safety hasn’t dealt with many of those battery fires.
As we think fire safety, it’s important to remember smoke detectors as well. Phelps says a home should have more than one.
“Inside or outside near every sleeping area, if you have a basement, at the top of the stairs and also one at the bottom of the stairs. And then just spaced out however you think you may need them. Living rooms are a good place to put one.”
Phelps does not recommend smoke detectors near the bathroom or in the kitchen, but there should be one near the kitchen. He says the biggest cause of home fires is cooking, especially people leaving something on the stove too long. Don’t leave items unattended when they’re cooking.
St. Joseph residents appear to be pretty good about following the biggest tips because Phelps says the city has only had two structure fires this year.
