WOODFIN, N.C. (828newsNOW) — It can happen in an instant: a dog chews on a TV remote or an electric scooter sparks on a garage floor — and suddenly, a small battery ignites a potentially dangerous fire.
For Jeremy Brooks, fire and life safety educator with the Asheville Fire Department, incidents like this are becoming part of a new reality for firefighters. Lithium-ion batteries — the power behind everything from e-bikes and scooters to power tools and cellphones — are now household staples, but they come with hidden risks.
“These batteries are in everything now,” Brooks said. “Once a battery is punctured or damaged, it can heat up and ignite, and that fire can be incredibly difficult to control.”
The danger lies in a phenomenon called thermal runaway, in which one overheating battery cell triggers a chain reaction in connected cells. In small gadgets, this can produce clouds of smoke and sparks; in electric vehicles, it can require tens of thousands of gallons of water to extenguish. Even after firefighters leave the scene, a damaged EV battery can flare up again…