WOODBURY, Minn. — At least five Woodbury houses have caught on fire because of a now-common item. According to investigators, those fires were all sparked by lithium-ion batteries.
Some of the fires led to widespread damage, including one home that was a total loss.
Lithium-ion batteries are what’s in your laptop, headphones, and most of the devices that need to be recharged. They have special cords for the wall and your device. If you use the wrong ones, that’s a problem that can have devastating consequences.
In one of the fires, investigators say a lawnmower battery overheated and melted in the garage. Some nearby rags and paper towels then caught fire. In another case, it was a power drill that ignited the fire. A third incident started as a result of an airsoft gun, which blew up, setting fire to a teenager’s bedroom and then the whole house. Luckily, no one was hurt.
The Woodbury Fire Department says the five fires they investigated all happened in just the last four months.