WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Lithium-ion batteries power many of our everyday items, from cell phones to toothbrushes, but you may not know how dangerous they can be.
Even the smallest batteries can cause serious damage, including the lithium-ion battery from a radio that started a fire inside the Kansas Star Casino Thursday night.
The fire was contained to one office, but others aren’t as lucky in battery fires nationwide.
Between 2017 and 2022, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission reported more than 25,000 cases of lithium-ion batteries catching fire or overheating. In those reports, 13 people died, and another 141 were hurt.
Jose Ocaidz, Battalion Chief of the Wichita Fire Department, explains that using an approved charger can help eliminate some of the risk.
“We all have accessibility to knock-off types of cords or blocks,” said Ocadiz. “Basically, what happens is it just starts exploding. Those cells get to a certain point…
