Lithium Battery causes Dorm Fire 

Do you have a child who owns an e-bike, e-scooter or e-skateboard? Earlier this year, an e-skateboard ignited at 3:00 AM in a Stanford dorm, triggering the interior sprinklers and resulting in > $200,000 of damage. Fortunately, no one was injured. Make sure you and your child know how to safely maintain the battery, and if they live elsewhere and could be held liable for such accidents, make sure they have renters’ insurance!

Download the NFPA Lithium-Ion Battery Safety Tip Sheet here.

MORE TIPS: Don’t overcharge the batteries; unplug when fully charged. Charge them on a hard surface, not on a bed or couch. Lithium batteries are now the #1 cause of residential fires; for decades it was kitchen fires. Recycle the batteries and don’t throw them in the wastebasket – lithium batteries are now the #1 cause of fires at CA waste facilities. We don’t need to be scared of lithium battery fires, but we need to be aware of and manage the risks.