CHICAGO (CBS) — From laptops and tablets to e-scooters and vapes, rechargeable lithium batteries are everywhere.
But the Chicago Fire Department says it has seen a spike in the number of fires sparked by lithium batteries, and injuries that have resulted.
Lithium-ion batteries can erupt in violent explosions and out-of-control fires, and toxic chemicals can be released rapidly.
Such fires can be triggered by something as seemingly innocent as the gnawing of the family dog—as happened in Tulsa, Oklahoma last month.
“They behave differently than a standard type of a fire, if you will ,” said Robert Slone, chief scientist at UL Solutions, a Northbrook-based safety science company and testing laboratory. “They are more explosive, and they bring their own sort of dangers and risks involved with them.”
Slone said to beware of mixing and matching chargers and batteries, to stay away from aftermarket products, and always to look for…
