Concerns surrounding lithium battery fires were raised at Swift Current city council on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024.
With the rise of the digital age has come an increase in battery-powered devices. Everything from cell phones and tablets, to computers are vehicles seems to be battery operated now.
This lead to some questions from Swift Current city councillor Pat Friesen regarding safety surrounding lithium battery fires for the Swift Current Fire Department. She had recently read an article in which the Montreal Fire Department cautioned against charging a cell phone at night for fear it could ignite.
“I’m just curious about your comments on that,” said Friesen. “
Answering her inquiry was Swift Current Fire Department Fire Chief, Ryan Hunter. He was at Swift Current city council with Deputy Fire Chief Dean Diguer to help promote Fire Prevention Week.
“A lot of the lithium batteries that they’re really concerned about have been with electric bikes,” said Hunter. “Some of that concern is for phones, but most of the bikes are a little bit larger.”
Hunter specified that people have begun to modify some of these bikes. In certain cases, the amount of power they are getting out of the bikes is exceeding the normal limit, causing problems whilst charging or using the battery.
“Once you touch them, they are like extremely dangerous because they will start on fire,” cautioned Hunter.
Friesen also followed up her original question with a request to know how the Fire Department deals with large lithium battery fires, like those found in particular in electric vehicles.
“Lithium battery fires, especially in a car fire, the way to put them out is to actually submerge them in water,” said Hunter. “We don’t have a crane or a big tub, so what we are going to do in Swift Current is, like what many places are going to do, just protect the exposures, get everyone out of the way and let them burn.”
Hunter explained that you cannot pour or spray enough water on lithium car battery fires because they make their own oxygen and heat. Unless you can totally submerge them, you aren’t going to put the fire out.
“You’re not going to have any luck,” Hunter said. “They’re extremely dangerous.”
In the event a cell phone battery ignites, Hunter warns people not to try and save the phone.
“You will burn your hand if you pick it up and try to save it,” said Hunter.
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