Expert advises caution around Lithium-ion after apparent battery blaze at Winnipeg home
Posted July 31, 2023 5:38 pm.
Last Updated July 31, 2023 6:48 pm.
Fire officials are reminding the public to take caution with lithium batteries, after a battery appears to have sparked a fire that caused extensive damage in a Winnipeg home.
One expert says people may be shocked to learn how much damage a small battery can cause if mishandled.
Crews responding to the fire on Ralph Avenue East around 1:20 p.m. Saturday. After crews got the blaze under control, preliminary findings indicated the fire was accidental and related to the charging of a lithium-ion battery.
Brett Duseigne, owner of the Battery Man, has been supplying people portable power for almost 37 years, and says people are experiencing issues with the batteries more often.
“It’s really high temperature, it’s a nasty fire, you don’t ever want to have a lithium fire,” said Duseigne.
A long-time expert in providing people with power, Brett Duseigne, Managing Partner and Owner of the Battery Man on St. James St. in Winnipeg says it’s more often people are coming forward with issues around lithium-ion batteries. (Morgan Modjeski/CityNews)
“They’re very volatile and you have to be careful with them, sometimes there’s absolutely blow a circuit and create a spark and then you have a fire.”
An expert in the business of batteries, he says few people understand how dangerous the compounds involved are. He says people should not be opening up and dissecting the batteries as is seen online, it’s a dangerous practice.
“There’s an accident waiting to happen and someone is going to get hurt, or possibly killed.”
Officials with the Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Service say there’s only been a few fires caused by the pocket power sources, but as the number of batteries increases, so will the risk.
“So far, in our jurisdiction, we haven’t seen a significant increase in the number of fires that have been caused by Lithium-Ion batteries. However, we don’t expect that to stay the same. We expect to see an increase in the near future unfortunately, based on what we’ve seen in other jurisdictions, like New York or Toronto,” explained Ryan Youngson, Community Risk Reduction Officer with the Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Services.
Ryan Youngson, Community Risk Reduction Officer with the Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Services, says people need read instructions when using lithium-ion batteries and monitor them closely when they’re in the process of charging. (Morgan Modjeski/CityNews)
The fire in the 100 block of Ralph Avenue remains under investigation. Youngson says people need to be careful, especially when charging.
“First and foremost, it’s important than when you’re charging these batteries, be home and be awake when so you can monitor the charging and process and what not — so you can be there if you notice it overheating or what not. Secondly follow the manufactures instructions, not all batteries are the same.”
Youngson says this type of precautionary measure to reduce fires is critical, especially if users are purchasing batteries online or from an unknown source.
This is echoed by Duseigne, who says, when shopping around, if a battery’s price is too good to be true, it probably is.
