Fire Prevention Week Highlights The Risks Of Lithium-ion Batteries

If you didn't know, this week is Fire Prevention Week.

Our Washington State deputy state fire marshal Courtney Chambers wanted to share a few tips and reminders for new ways of fire prevention for devices you maybe hadn't have thought of that could cause a fire in your home.
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One such idea are lithium-ion batteries.

The theme for this Fire Prevention Week is Charge Into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home.

Coming from both Washington State Fire Marshal's Offce and National Fire Protection Association, there are three simple steps for prevention to remind you of especially during this Fire Prevention Week.

So many of today's products and gadgets use lithium-ion batteries.

The first thing you should do is, if you're getting a product that uses lithium-ion batteries, look for safety certifications. There are safety standards it should meet. It should be easy to find. Just look for makrs like ETL, CSA, or UL. If it has any of those, that's a good thing.
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To be safe, charge your devices using the provided cords. I know sometimes it's convenient to just use what you already have plugged in. With items, some cords are built for certain devices, though it's still USB-C. This could prevent the battery from overheating. Also to charge on a flat surface.

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If you're throwing away a device or gadget that uses lithium-ion batteries, don't throw them in the trash with everything else. They could spark a fire and go from there. Remove the battery and take it to a battery recycling location. You can check out call2recycle.org to find such a place near you.