ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — St. Johns County Fire Rescue said they are battling more fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.
Those batteries power tools, e-bikes, and even golf carts that are parked in many St. Johns County garages.
But fire officials said they can pose a fire risk if they are damaged, improperly charged, or stored incorrectly.
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“We’ve seen a significant increase in battery fires, and this seems to be a trend not just here in the county but also locally,” St. Johns County Fire Rescue Public Information Officer Chris Naff said.
Naff said 80% of the fires they respond to involve some type of battery-related incident.
“If we are going to garage fires nowadays, it is going to be from some type of battery, battery issue or even the charger that goes to the battery,” said Naff said.
And on Monday, an early morning fire was no exception to that number.
Flames tore through a garage in the Shearwater neighborhood. Fire rescue said it believes a golf cart was to blame for that fire.
Naff said a simple way to stay safe is to follow proper charging guidelines.
“We always tell people to unplug it from the wall and unplug it from the vehicle that you are charging,” Naff said. “Charge in an open space, a well-ventilated space.”
He also stresses the importance of following the manufacturer’s instructions and using only manufacturer-approved chargers and replacement batteries.
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“If you are replacing batteries or you are replacing chargers, make sure you go with the recommended charger or battery for that particular vehicle,” Naff said. “We’ve seen a lot of the aftermarket ones come in, and they seem to be the ones that are having a lot of the issues, like the ones you get off of Amazon.”
As the holiday season approaches, Naff said they are gearing up to start seeing other types of fires.
“We are going to start seeing heater fires, turkey fryers, next week is Thanksgiving, so fryer safety is a big one,” Naff said.
He said make sure your smoke detectors are working, have a fire extinguisher in your home, and a fire safety plan for your family.
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