GREENE COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Lithium-ion batteries energy so many gadgets we use each day, however they’re additionally linked to extra fires. Fire officers are warning folks about how these batteries could seem small however can nonetheless trigger a large fire. The most up-to-date fire occurred inside a Greene County workplace full of individuals proper earlier than the weekend.
According to officers, the workplace staff have been in the room Friday afternoon when the fire broke out. But Shaun S. Groden, Greene County Administrator, mentioned everybody acted calm and quick.
“The staff immediately used a fire extinguisher to extinguish the small blaze,” he mentioned. “It never got to the point where the sprinkler system hadn’t engaged. So it was pretty well- quickly contained.”
According to Rob Leonard from the Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY), lithium-ion batteries may be discovered in most digital gadgets. Still, not sufficient folks know these batteries can pose a extreme fire hazard. Since a lithium battery brought about the fire, it launched fumes that resulted in fire officers asking employees to clear the building for the remainder of the day.
“The battery reaches the end of life, rather than buying a new battery- you try to get it fixed by a person, instead of buying a brand new battery, you buy a used battery,” Leonard mentioned.
Leonard says this is a matter since outdated batteries are nonetheless able to inflicting a fire.
Greene County officers say that the precise battery was not being recharged on the time. But they’re grateful it occurred throughout enterprise hours.
“What would have happened if that thing went off at 8 p.m. when the building was closed? Certainly, by then, the sprinkler system would have kicked in at that point,” Groden mentioned. “But [fortunately], it occurred throughout working hours, so we have been in a position to include it.
Greene County officers plan to create an motion report to assist forestall one other battery-related fire. In the meantime, Leonard says that everybody ought to comply with the producer’s suggestions.
“The manufacturer recommends a limited lifetime on these devices for a reason. At some point, they begin to break down,” he mentioned. “Even if the battery is a quote smart battery that can judge when it’s been fully charged and stop charging…that function may wear down over time.”
CurreFire officers are nonetheless investigating the trigger. But the injury from the fire shall be repaired inside the subsequent two weeks. There are many battery and cellphone recycling places across the Capital Region, together with Home Depot, Walmart, Staples, and Lowes.
