A fire that caused $50,000 damage to the KTVZ television building in Bend was caused by lithium battery chargers located in an office in the center of the building. The chargers were for the camera and lighting batteries used by reporters. When the fire started it spread to nearby storage bins and bags. Its unclear if the charger or the battery failed in this case. With the quick response by staff and calling 911, the fire was kept small and the building is able to be reoccupied as soon as the smoke odor has been cleaned up.
The building, located at 62990 OB Riley road, was occupied at the time. Staff called 911 and evacuated the building. Fire crews searched the interior and roof for the source and found a fire in an interior office. The fire was extinguished and building ventilated.
To help prevent this type of fire in your home or business; here are some safety tips for battery charging whether it’s camera batteries, e-bikes, drones, or any battery or device with a battery in it:
– Follow all manufactures guidelines for use of the charger and battery.
– Never charge a lithium battery that has been damaged, has signs of damage or is wet. Replace the battery before using or charging the device.
– Once the battery has charged, most manufactures suggest removing the battery from the charger or unplugging the charger to stop the charging process. With no power source, the battery and charger will have less of a chance to over heat or fail. Over charging can lead to fires.
– Set a timer to remind you when the charging is done so you can remove the battery.
– Keep chargers away from other combustibles in case they do catch on fire, its harder for the fire to spread.
– Stop using any charger or battery that appears damaged, isn’t charging properly or is malfunctioning. Replace the device immediately.
– Lithium batteries can be recycled, please do not throw them in the trash. They can be taken to your local recycling/transfer center for recycling and many electronics stores have battery recycling bins. The components can be made into new batteries. Alkaline batteries can be disposed of into the regular trash. Deschutes County Solid Waste and local garbage companies ask that you do not throw them in the trash. Lithium batteries in the trash can get damaged and wet during the disposal process and pose a risk of a fire in the trash can, dumpster, garbage truck and possibly the landfill itself.
