$40K fire at SW Bend home apparently sparked by failed lithium battery
'Older lithium batteries need continual care,' fire official warns
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The failure of a rechargeable lithium battery apparently sparked a garage fire early Tuesday that caused $40,000 in damage to a southwest Bend home and parked vehicles, an official said.
Bend Fire & Rescue crews responded shortly before 5 a.m. to the reported garage fire in the 19300 block of Rim Lake Court in the Broken Top subdivision, Battalion Chief Trish Connolly said.
Crews quickly extinguished a small fire in the garage, Connolly said, adding that the owners fortunately found the fire early and quickly called 911.
The home's smoke detectors did not sound, as the fire was in the garage. The resident woke up to the smell of the fire.
Despite the fact action, the fire caused $40,000 worth of fire and smoke damage to the house and cars parked in the garage.
“The owners’ quick reaction to the fire and closing the door from the garage into the house prevented the fire from doing more damage than it did,” Connolly said.
“Older lithium batteries need continual care in order to keep them in working condition,” Connolly said in a news release. “Similar batteries were found in the garage that were in a state of expanding and reacting. Once a lithium battery makes it to this state, it can catch fire on its own.”
Some old lithium batteries if they just sit on a shelf can corrode, officials said, and this can cause them to catch on fire.
By charging them or trickle charging (conditioning), it helps the battery not corrode. But Connolly said, "We recommend to follow the manufacturer’s directions, and if the battery corrodes or swells, they need to be disposed of properly (following manufacturers' recommendations).
Newer lithium batteries are not as prone to these problems, she added, but still need care.
“Always follow the maintenance and storage instructions for all lithium batteries closely. Many require regular charging … even when not in use, to prevent failures,” she said.
