San Diego first responders are investigating the second lithium-ion battery fire this week — and it's only Monday.
One of the fires led to an explosion that left a man with critical burn injuries, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said.
The first fire was reported at an apartment complex in Barrio Logan early Sunday and the second started at an antique home in Point Loma overnight Monday, officials said.
Barrio Logan E-Bike Fire
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In the first, a couple was charging their electric bike in the living room of their apartment on Boston Avenue when a fire sparked at about 6:09 a.m., SDFD Chief Dan Eddy said. The man tried to put out a fire by pouring water on the battery, causing it to explode and cover him in acid.
SDFD Battalion Chief Chris Babler said the man didn't have a shirt on and was burned in the explosion as he was evacuating his girlfriend. He received burns to his arms and legs and was rushed to the UCSD Burn Center.
"We're tending to her," Babler said. "She uses that e-bike to commute to work. She has nothing, everything is destroyed. So we're going to run to the store and get her some shoes and some clothes. She was evacuated without any clothes on."
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The first-floor apartment was destroyed and the apartment above it was damaged by smoke. There were no other reported injuries to firefighters or nearby residents.
That Barrio Logan fire scorched through $275,000 in damages.
Point Loma Fire
Less than 24 hours later, a fire was reported in the closet of a home on Dumas Street in the Loma Portal neighborhood of San Diego.
SDFD Batallion Chief Craig Newell said a smoke detector alarm alerted residents inside and they were all able to safely evacuate before firefighters arrived.
Several people and at least three dogs could be seen outside the home as firefighters pulled smoldering items from the home, like plates, collectible whiskey bottles and blankets.
"Right now, the damage was contained just to the closet," Newell said. "It's a beautiful antique home here in Point Loma so the crews really made an effort to keep the damage to a minimum, with the water damage during the fire extinguishment as well as getting all the burned material out of the house to keep the damage low."
No one was injured or displaced in the second fire. Newell said a lithium-ion battery is suspected of sparking in this fire, too, but what the battery was used for was not disclosed.
Investigators from Hazmat and the Metro Arson Task Force were called to confirm the cause of both fires.
Eddy said authorities have seen an increase in fires caused by e-bike batteries and chargers. He said more people are buying e-bikes, but warned that inexpensive chargers and batteries can cause fires and injuries and are generally unsafe. He also cautioned people not to pour water on charger or battery fires, which can lead to an explosion.
Why Are Lithium-ion Batteries Catching Fire?
Deep Cycle Battery Shop Owner Jeff Schwen hears about these accidents all the time.
"Lithium ions are getting a bad rep because of what's called thermal runaway. And that's what happens when the temperature of the cells increases," Schwen said.
One of the main culprits causing batteries to overheat is them being cheaply made. For an e-bike, anything less than $400 is reason to look more closely at the reviews, Schwen said.
Another lesser-known reason that lithium-ion batteries overheat is because they've been dropped. The impact from the fall affects the battery's quality. If the device gets hot when you charge it, it's a tell-tale sign that something is wrong. Buyers should pay attention to the warranty, too.
“If the manufacturer is not willing to back it up with a really long warranty, that means there's problems with the cells," Schwen said. A five to 10-year warranty is what you're looking for, Schwen said.
Lithium-ion batteries are graded A-B-C. A "C" grade or lower doesn't necessarily mean your device will catch on fire, but it does mean it likely won't last long.
When the lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes are poorly made, overused, overcharged, or used with the wrong charger, they can cause fires and those fires can be very violent and difficult to put out.
Consumer Reports has some tips on how to protect yourself from buying a bad battery and how to prevent e-bike fires.
In New York, hundreds of fires have been attributed to lithium-ion batteries from e-bikes or scooters.
And, here in San Diego County an e-bike battery may have started a house fire in Carlsbad last month. A lithium-ion battery external pack was likely behind a fire aboard a United Airlines flight that caused a chaotic scene on the tarmac of the San Diego International Airport.
