Device power bank fire sparks safety warning from South Huron fire chief

South Huron Fire Chief Jeremy Becker holds a device power bank, seen on Aug. 27, 2024, that spontaneously started on fire at a Dashwood home. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

Fire Chief Jeremy Becker holds in his hand the melted remnants of a device power bank that spontaneously went up in flames Friday night in Dashwood.

"This could have been worse. The family was outside in their back porch eating supper around 6:00 p.m., and they probably would have left in the 20 minutes following for another event. But they heard the smoke detector go off. The father ran in the house, grabbed the fire extinguisher, and he was able to put the fire out," said Becker.

The power bank wasn't even plugged in at the time, but was sitting underneath an iPad plugged into the wall. Both devices were sitting on a bed, which is where the fire spread to, making it a potentially home destroying blaze.

"Charge these devices on hard surfaces. These things can catch fire, and this is exactly what happened. It got hot, and mattresses and furniture are made of foam materials, compared to the old days and they take fire a lot faster than they used to," said Becker.

Melted remnants of a device power bank that spontaneously started on fire at a Dashwood home, seen on Aug. 27, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

This close call in Dashwood is the most recent example of the rare, but serious risk that lithium ion batteries can pose. These types of batteries, found in electric cars, e-scooters, and countless laptops and smartphones, can create more heat than they can disperse, leading to an uncontrolled release of heat energy. Firefighters say water can only slow a lithium ion battery fire down, it can't fully smother it.

"Once they start to go into thermal runaway, at that point, it's impossible for us to kind of reverse that process. We have to try to cool it down,” said Orillia's Fire Chief Michael Clark.

Scarred mattress and pillows after a device power bank sitting on a bed spontaneously started on fire at a Dashwood home on Aug. 23, 2024. (Source: South Huron Fire Chief Jeremy Becker)

"It's the biggest growing concern right now. Lithium ion batteries are safe, but they have to be maintained. Use the proper chargers that come with them and look after them. They can become damaged, and they are a big hazard when they're not looked after. Use the nightstands, a hard surface to charge, but keep in mind, keep an eye on them when they're being charged. Don't charge them overnight. These things can become dangerous. They do get hot," said Becker.

Becker said he anticipates more fires like this in the coming years, as Ontario electrifies almost everything.

Scarred mattress and pillows after a device power bank sitting on a bed spontaneously started on fire at a Dashwood home on Aug. 23, 2024. (Source: South Huron Fire Chief Jeremy Becker)