There’s a non-zero chance that the lithium battery in your device might, well, explode. Between 2012 and 2017, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates at least 25,000 fires involving these batteries—and this is still happening today. In 2023 alone, New York City reported 200 fires related to lithium-ion batteries. Sure, some of these fires may be related to your dog using your phone as a chew-toy, but these rechargeable batteries can—and do—spontaneously explode into flames.
The good news is that there are warning signs that your rechargeable device’s battery is going to have an explosive moment.
Battery warning signs
Batteries work using chemical reactions to move electrons from one material to another, and that chemical reaction can go sideways under a variety of conditions—but there will usually be warning signs:
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Heat. Rechargeable batteries generate heat as part of their normal operation—your phone can…
