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
Poilievre unrepentant over calling Trudeau 'wacko' as his MPs say Speaker should resign
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he does not regret calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko,' and now his MPs are renewing calls for the House of Commons Speaker to resign, this time over ordering the Official Opposition leader to leave the chamber.
Is it cold, flu or norovirus? Symptoms explained
The highly contagious norovirus is spreading across Canada, with some symptoms overlapping with other viruses. CTVNews.ca spoke with a health expert to find out how you can tell you have norovirus, the most common form of stomach flu, and what to do if you have it.
Ontario's police watchdog continues probe of high-speed pursuit involving fatal crash
The investigation continues into a collision that killed two grandparents and their infant grandchild during a high-speed police chase on the wrong way of Highway 401 east of Toronto.
Stranded cruise passengers in Spain race to catch up with their ship
A month after eight Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were stranded in Africa when their ship left without them because they were late getting back, a U.S. couple – ages 84 and 81 – were also left behind by the cruise line in Spain.
No criminal charges after 4 newborn bodies found in Boston freezer
A prosecutor in Massachusetts won't seek criminal charges against anyone, two years after four newborns were found in a freezer in a South Boston apartment.
Anger can harm your blood vessel function, study shows
Stress and anger can have a negative impact on cardiovascular health, studies have shown. New research points to just how the mechanism may work.
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Ontario woman surprised after 20-year-old fines suddenly tank credit score
An Ontario woman says that she was shocked when fines from 20 years ago suddenly tanked her credit score last week, but the situation may not be as unusual as it seems, according to at least one debt expert.
Search continues for 'armed man' in Dartmouth, N.S.
Police say they continue to search for an armed man who allegedly threatened people in Dartmouth, N.S.