A dog in Tulsa, Oklahoma, started a house fire after biting into a lithium-ion battery, fire officials said.
The Tulsa Fire Department recently released dramatic footage from the fire, which took place in May, showing the portable cell phone battery sparking and burning, sending two dogs and a cat flying.
The home sustained significant damage in the fire, but the pets escaped through a dog door and were not injured, according to Andy Little, a fire department spokesman.
In a video provided by the Tulsa Fire Department, a dog is seen starting a house fire by chewing on a lithium battery on a mattress in Tulsa, Okla.
Tulsa Fire Department/Facebook
“But the outcome could have been much worse if there had been no escape routes or if the family were asleep at the time,” Little added.
Little called lithium-ion battery fires a “critical issue that has affected fire departments across the United States.”
The batteries, which are typically used to charge cell phones, are “known to store a significant amount of energy in a compact space,” Little said.
“However, when this energy is released uncontrolled, it can generate heat, produce flammable and toxic gases and even lead to explosions,” he added.
In a video provided by the Tulsa Fire Department, a dog is seen starting a house fire by chewing on a lithium battery on a mattress in Tulsa, Okla.
Tulsa Fire Department/Facebook
Extreme heat exposure, physical damage, overcharging and using incompatible charging equipment can cause the devices to catch fire, according to experts.
Little urged the public to be careful with lithium-ion batteries, including keeping them out of the reach of children and pets.
To dispose of the devices, Little said they should be taken to a designated recycling center or hazardous waste collection site — not just tossed in the trash, which can damage the batteries and potentially cause fires.
“Let’s work together to prevent lithium-ion battery-related fires and keep our homes and communities safe,” Little said.