On Thursday, December 14th at 8:35 p.m. the Colorado Springs Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire at The Lookout at Broadmoor, 820 Oxford Ln. Colorado Springs, CO.
Engine 13 arrived at 8:40 p.m. and could see smoke and fire showing from the northwest corner of the building, Battalion Chief 1 called a working fire.
Crews initiated fire attack and were able to deem the fire under control 5 minutes after arrival. Thanks to the quick actions of firefighters, the fire was contained to the balcony of the apartment and did not spread to any interior spaces of the building.
No injuries were reported to any civilians or firefighters. No one was displaced. A total of 28 CSFD personnel responded to the fire.
It has been determined that the cause of this fire was due to a lithium-ion battery in an electric scooter.
Lithium-ion batteries are in many devices including smartphones, laptops, e-scooters and e-bikes, toys, and cars. These batteries store a large amount of energy in a small space and when used improperly or damaged they can overheat, catch fire, and in some cases explode. Lithium-ion battery fires can be extremely harmful. They cause a number of fatalities every year and we expect to continue to see an increase in these types of fires.
In this particular fire, the occupant of the apartment did the right thing by charging the scooters outdoors. If this fire happened indoors it could have been significantly worse.
The CSFD recommends following the tips to keep yourself and your family safe:
- Only use the battery and charge that is designed for the device.
- Remove the device from the charger once it is fully charged.
- Keep batteries at room temperature when possible. Do not charge them at temperatures below32 degrees or above 105 degrees.
- Store batteries away from anything that can catch fire.
Signs of a lithium-ion battery problem:
- The battery emits an odor
- The battery changes color
- A significant amount of heat is coming from the battery
- The battery expands or changes shape
- If you hear noises or hissing from the battery