Battery fires a concern for Maritime departments as numbers grow
Batteries power many things in our lives, from phones to laptops to even cars, but there’s a danger lurking in our battery dependency.
As electronics become an ever-more pervasive part of our lives, so do lithium ion battery fires. That’s according to the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs.
“The amount of heat that’s produced is so rapid that it becomes, basically, explosive” said Robert Hebb, Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency district chief and Hazardous Materials Response team manager. “At that point in time, anything close by will be consumed by the fire.”
Toronto and Vancouver have seen big jumps in battery fires compared to other types, but it’s not just a problem in big cities.
“Unfortunately because things have happened so quickly and lithium batteries have really experienced such rapid growth,” said Hebb. “One expression that one of the firefighter uses is, ‘We’re literally building the plane as we fly it,’ so we’re fighting these fires and we’re learning as we go.”
Halifax Fire is learning from the experiences of those bigger centres to train for these new types of fires.
Most people don’t realize the danger a damaged or faulty battery creates.
“Please don’t charge your phones on a bed, that type of thing. We’ve seen incidents of that happening,” said Charlottetown Deputy Chief Kent Mitchell. “Excessive heat can cause an issue. We’ve seen an incident where a cell phone has caught fire in a car parked in the summertime, on the dash.”
You should also unplug your electronics after they’re charged and don’t leave them plugged in all night. He said it’s important to always use compatible batteries and cables for electronic devices.
Electric cars have also changed the way firefighters approach vehicle fires, which can take hours and 50,000 gallons of water to put out.
“We’ve learned that it’s quicker to let the vehicle burn out,” said Hebb. “It can take 45 minutes to an hour for it to completely burn out, so we utilize our water to protect the exposures and just allow the vehicle to finish burning.”
E-bikes and scooters are one of the main drivers of the growth in battery fires. He said people should never charge them inside a home, particularly in hallways where they can be both a source of fire and block escape from the building.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors concerned about potential spread of bird flu in Canada
H5N1 or avian flu has been detected at dozens of US dairy farms and Canadian experts are urging surveillance on our side of the border too.
There's a limit to how much interest rates in Canada and U.S. can diverge: Macklem
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canadian interest rates don't have to match U.S. or global rates, but there is a limit to how much they can diverge.
TD Bank hit with $9.2M penalty after failing to report suspicious transactions
Canada's financial intelligence agency says it has levied a $9.2-million penalty against The Toronto-Dominion Bank for non-compliance with money laundering and terrorist financing measures as the bank also faces compliance investigations in the U.S.
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Should I invest with a human or a robot? Traditional firms vs. robo-advisors
Investors considering where to park their money have a choice: go with a traditional financial adviser or trust in an algorithm. Here are the pros and cons of both.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Imagine living in a 4-foot body that doesn't develop chronic diseases
Nathaly Paola Castro Torres has a rare disorder called Laron syndrome that is caused by a genetic mutation. It stunts her growth but also provides a hidden silver lining: Her body is protected from chronic diseases such as cancer that often take life away long before old age.
Concerns about Plexiglas prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglas barriers.