INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - Rechargeable batteries that are typically used in cell phones, laptops, and kids toys are blamed for setting fire to an Indianapolis apartment over the weekend. No one was hurt, but there is a warning for parents wanting keep kids safe.
If you purchased an electronic device as a Christmas gift or already have some scattered around the house and and they run on batteries, there is a good chance they are running on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
They are incredibly powerful and experts say they are safe as long as you take some basic precautions.
A video of the damage from the weekend fire on Harbor Drive, released by the Indianapolis Fire Department, shows some of the toys in the debris, still working.
"They have to make these batteries strong enough to power these things," said one person, off-camera and unidentified.
Lithium-ion batteries in children's toys, Indianapolis fire investigators say, overheated, setting fire to the closet they were stored in.
They are the same type of rechargeable batteries that have made national headlines for burning up up cell phones, laptops, hover boards and other devices. The problems were attributed to manufacturing defects.
Are lithium batteries dangerous?
"I would say it has become safer and safer," said Jing Zhang, an associate professor in IUPUI's department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering.
Zhang has been researching lithium-ion batteries for six years.
They pose a special risk because the technology squeezes so much more energy into a much smaller space and, Zhang said, the lithium is very flammable, which can cause a fire if a malfunction causes the battery to overheat.
Here's some simple advice to keep that from happening.
- Keep lithium-ion batteries dry. Water, even moisture, can cause a malfunction.
- Remove batteries from toys and electronics when they are not being used for a long time.
- Did you know batteries have an expiration date? Look for it. Hoosier humidity can accumulate over a period of time.
- And most important of all, don't overheat the batteries or overcharge charge them. Pull the plug when the charge is done.
What happens when you leave it in the charger on all the time and forget about it?
"Sometimes you are going to overheat the battery," Zhang explained. "When you are going to overheat the battery, you are going to have some chemical reactions."
That, he said, could lead to a fire.
There is some other common sense advice. Use the charger that came with the battery. Don't place charging batteries on beds, a sofa, rugs or anything else the catches fire easily.
Some newer batteries have sensors. They detect a problem, turn off the battery and prevent a bigger problem.