Family home demolished by lithium battery incident: Father urges safety measures to safeguard loved ones
In a tragic incident that has gained media attention, Dustin Harpe, a father living in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, has lost his dream home to a fire caused by a lithium-ion battery. The fire, which started this month, destroyed the house in less than an hour, leaving Harpe and his family without a home.
Harpe, who was designing his home to cater to his needs as a father living with quadriplegia, expressed his surprise at the rapid spread of the fire. He stated that a lithium-ion drone battery was the source of the fire.
Following the incident, Harpe has issued a warning to the public, urging them to take necessary precautions to protect their families from similar incidents. He emphasised the potential dangers of lithium-ion batteries, highlighting that they can pose risks if damaged, misused, or charged improperly.
Fire safety experts and organisations support Harpe's warning. They advise that to prevent house fires involving lithium-ion batteries, key safety measures should be observed. These include using certified batteries and devices that comply with established fire safety standards, avoiding physical damage to batteries, charging them only in fire-rated, non-combustible areas with good ventilation, using appropriate chargers, monitoring batteries for signs of aging or damage, storing them at recommended temperatures, having smoke or heat detectors installed in indoor charging areas, being cautious with portable power banks and other devices lacking advanced battery management systems, and evacuating immediately and contacting emergency services in case of fire.
It is also important to note that lithium-ion fires burn at very high temperatures (up to ~1,500°C) and can re-ignite due to residual chemical reactions. As such, water should be used cautiously if attempting to extinguish a lithium-ion battery fire, with prioritising evacuation and professional firefighting support being advised given the toxic gases and difficulty in putting such fires out.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to safety measures when using and storing lithium-ion batteries. The local station TMJ4 reported on the incident, with Harpe speaking to them about his experience.
Dustin Harpe, in a heartfelt plea, urged the public to practice caution with their use of lithium-ion batteries, as a damaged or improperly charged one may have caused the fire that destroyed his dream home. Fire safety experts concur, advising adherence to safety measures such as the use of certified batteries, safe charging locations, monitoring for aging or damage, and observing proper storage conditions, in addition to having smoke detectors and avoiding portable power banks without advanced battery management systems.
