Fire Department issues golf cart lithium-ion battery warnings

After diving deeper into the cause of a garage fire in a Canyon Lake home in May, the Canyon Lake Fire Department has issued a warning regarding charging third-party lithium-ion golf cart batteries.

A fire broke out in a Canyon Lake garage over the Memorial Day weekend and the fire department and CAL FIRE Riverside County were called and knocked down the fire in 10 minutes, confining the fire to the garage. The resident, who was present at the home and sleeping inside the house, was unaware of the fire. Neighbors called 911 and urgently knocked on the resident‘s door, informing him about the fierce fire in the garage.

As the firefighters initiated their investigation into the cause of the fire, they made a significant discovery. It was revealed that the resident had left his retrofitted golf cart charging overnight with the garage securely closed.

No one had accessed the garage since the resident had plugged in the golf cart 12 hours prior. After conducting a thorough examination of the fire scene, the fire department concluded that the mishap occurred during the charging process of the golf cart, which was retrofitted with lithium-ion batteries.

The fire department did additional research and found that the Bay City News in Northern California reported in its June 13 edition that six recent fires in Berkeley were attributed to lithium-ion batteries. These incidents involved electric scooters, skateboards, and at least one electric bicycle.

Lithium-ion batteries are commonly found in various household items such as cordless tools, laptops, tablets, smartphones, electric vehicles, and residential solar energy storage systems. Lithium-ion batteries have the potential to overheat, short circuit or catch fire in a chain reaction from overcharging.

Another hazard with lithium-ion batteries is the phenomenon known as “thermal runaway.” This occurs, according to the Canyon Lake Fire Department, when the battery generates heat at a rate faster than it can dissipate, leading to the release of gas or even an explosion. Thermal runaway can be triggered by overcharging, overheating, or physical damage such as punctures to the battery.

Based on this recent garage fire incident in Canyon Lake and the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries, the Canyon Lake Fire Department encourages residents to use caution and to follow these suggestions to prevent battery fires:

Use the original manufacturers’ chargers, batteries, and replacements only.

Carefully follow the manufacturers’ instructions on charging and the care and maintenance of batteries.

Only charge devices for as long as it takes to charge fully – then disconnect.

Keep batteries away from extreme heat, cold, and other flammable items while charging.

Isolate batteries from each other and other flammable or explosive materials to prevent chemical reactions.

Identify distressed batteries – swollen, dented, or otherwise damaged – and discard them safely at a drop-off site, not in the trash can.

Plug devices directly into an outlet rather than into extension cords.

When charging batteries, do so in a well-ventilated area.

For further information on these warnings, contact the Canyon Lake Fire Department at (951) 335-9414.