Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services responded to a private elementary school in Bethesda on Friday after a laptop battery pack went into ‘thermal runaway.’ According to Chief Spokesperson for MCFRS Pete Piringer, a child was sitting on the laptop while in class and the laptop started smoking. The teacher removed the hazard from the building, the fire alarm was activated and the building was evacuated. There were no injuries.
ICYMI (12/16) A private Elementary School in Bethesda, @mcfrs responded – laptop battery pack went into ‘thermal runaway’ (child sitting on laptop in classroom, laptop started smoking) Teacher removed hazard from building, fire alarm was activated & bldg evacuated, no injuries https://t.co/OktIXcieZd pic.twitter.com/Ek6nPCzS3R
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) December 19, 2022
Lithium ion battery safety tips below, courtesy Montgomery County Fire & Rescue:
Lithium ion batteries supply power to many kinds of devices including smart phones, laptops, scooters, e-cigarettes, smoke alarms, toys, and even cars. Take care when using them. In rare cases, they can cause a fire or explosion.
The problem
• These batteries store a large amount of energy in a small amount of space.
• Sometimes batteries are not used the right way; batteries not designed for a specific use can be dangerous.
• Like any product, a small number of these batteries are defective. They can overheat, catch fire, or explode.
Safety Tips
• Purchase and use devices that are listed by a qualified
testing laboratory.
• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Only use the battery that is designed for the device.
• Put batteries in the device the right way.
• Only use the charging cord that came with the device.
• Do not charge a device under your pillow, on your bed or
on a couch.
• Keep batteries at room temperature.
• Do not place batteries in direct sunlight or keep them in
hot vehicles.
• Store batteries away from anything that can
catch fire.