The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department (FCFRD) is advising residents to be careful when storing lithium-ion batteries in the wake of a recent house fire.
Firefighters were dispatched to the 1500 block of Millikens Bend Road in the Dranesville area north of Herndon on Saturday, May 3 just before 7:30 p.m. for the reported fire, the FCFRD says.
“Firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from the attached garage of a single-story home,” the fire department said yesterday (Wednesday) in a press release. “They quickly ensured the fire was under control and checked the rest of the home for any signs of extension or damage.”
According to the FCFRD, two residents at the home discovered the fire when investigating “a loud noise coming from the garage. One of the residents managed to put out the flames with a portable fire extinguisher before calling 911.
Though everyone in the house evacuated, one person was transported to a hospital “for precautionary evaluation,” the fire department says. None of the responding firefighters were injured.
An investigation determined that the fire was started accidentally by a “malfunctioning lithium-ion battery” for a lawn mower, according to the FCFRD.
The fire resulted in an estimated $1,500 in damages, including $500 to the property and $1,000 in belongings.
The most common type of rechargable battery, lithium-ion batteries are used in electric vehicles, laptop computers and other household technologies, but the FCFRD says “they can pose a serious fire risk if damaged or improperly stored.”
Here are some safety tips from the fire department:
- Charge batteries only with the charger that came with the device.
- Don’t leave batteries charging unattended or overnight.
- Stop using batteries that are damaged, swollen, or leaking.
- Store batteries in cool, dry places away from flammable items
