A battery explosion involving a charging e-bike sparked a bedroom fire at a condo building in Winooski, Vermont, displacing 12 residents, NBC5 reported.
Firefighters contained the blaze within minutes, but two tenants were hospitalized, and the row homes had to be evacuated.
What happened?
According to NBC5, the fire started shortly after 5 p.m. on Elm Street in Winooski, Vermont, when a charging lithium battery connected to an e-bike exploded, setting a bedroom mattress on fire.
Winooski firefighters arrived at the scene, received assistance from the Burlington Fire Department, and extinguished the flames in about five minutes, limiting further damage to the condo row homes.
Residents across the row homes were evacuated. The two tenants from the unit where the fire began were taken to UVM Medical Center, and 12 people were unable to return home due to water damage. They are working with the landlord to determine next steps.
Why is this concerning?
E-bikes and other devices powered by lithium batteries can make daily life easier by cutting fuel costs and reducing time spent in traffic.
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That same battery technology is widely used because it packs a large amount of energy into a relatively small space. When something goes wrong during charging, however, fires can spread quickly.
Researchers are working on developing safer alternatives that are still effective. While plain zinc batteries are a more straightforward option, there are also batteries made with zinc and crab shells in the works.
It may take a while for these options to scale up if they do, but they could make everyday living even easier and safer.
What can I do?
Fire officials in Winooski said residents should, when possible, keep batteries outdoors for storage or charging and disconnect from e-bikes. It can also help to avoid charging batteries near soft surfaces like furniture that can catch fire quickly.
Using the charger designed for the battery, watching for signs of damage or overheating, and making sure smoke alarms are working can also add layers of protection.
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