Following a fire incident that resulted in the closure of the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre, the Grande Prairie Fire Department has issued a word of caution regarding battery safety in the home.
On June 11th, the GPFD was called to the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre due to reports of a blaze in the facility. The fire department responded quickly and contained the fire to prevent any further damage, and no injuries occurred as a result.
Chris Renyk, a Fire Marshal for the GPFD confirmed the cause of the flames to be related to a lithium-ion powered device that was left charging unattended. Renyk was hesitant to provide exact specifications regarding what the device was due to an internal investigation being conducted by the manufacturer; however, the Fire Marshal took the opportunity to educate residents regarding the safe use of lithium-ion powered devices as they become more prevalent in today’s electronic age.
“While lithium-ion batteries are very common in many devices, they pose significant risks if not handled correctly, and it’s crucial to follow those safety guidelines to prevent incidents like that,” he says.
Renyk encourages everyone with a lithium-ion powered device in their home to handle it with care and says preventing an accident can be a matter of taking a few simple steps. Renyk recommends avoiding dropping or puncturing the battery, checking for damage like swelling and off-odours, and never using a damaged battery should be considered before utilizing a lithium-ion powered device in the home.
When it comes to charging, Renyk says to always purchase chargers from a reputable supplier that meets Canadian safety standards and to avoid using third-party chargers for your devices.
“You can go on to places like Amazon or eBay or wherever you’re shopping and obtain things that may not exactly have those labels,” he says. “The goal is for a consumer to be informed and just make sure that the product that they’re purchasing or replacing a battery with, does meet those Canadian safety standards because they could be tested to a different standard.”
Due to the prevalence of RC cars and toys in Grande Prairie, the GPFD is currently sending messaging out to owners of remote-controlled toys to remain cautious as those devices can be more susceptible to battery damage due to the nature of their use.
“Those take a beating, those go off jumps, you know, scooters, kids scooters and things like that are another one, some of the electric bikes, those batteries that are on there oftentimes suffer impact from abuse in use beyond normal wear and tear, and the charging and working with high heat batteries and motors,” Renyk says. “Those oftentimes are where we see the fires.”
Ultimately, Renyk says education is the biggest tool in the prevention of battery-caused fires, and he says the best practice is to always stay in attendance when a device is plugged in and charging to avoid any accidents.
