‘Don’t leave them … unattended or overnight’
Authorities were alerted after it was understood that the fire in the house was caused by an electronic cigarette device. BBC reported.
“Rechargeable devices such as e-cigarettes and e-cigarettes contain lithium-ion batteries that can start fires,” warned West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service watch commander Duncan Warwood, according to the BBC.
What’s going on?
Firefighters were called to battle a blaze at a house in West Sussex, southern England, about 45 miles south of London. The fire destroyed the downstairs bedroom, according to the BBC.
Authorities said they believe an electronic cigarette device found in the bedroom was responsible for the incident.
“Lithium-ion batteries are safe during normal use but pose a risk of fire when overcharged, short-circuited, submerged or damaged,” local fire station manager Darren Wickings said, according to the BBC.
“Charge batteries and devices on a flat, solid, stable surface. Do not leave them charging unattended or overnight, and always unplug the charger when it is fully charged,” Wickings continued.
Why is it important?
Fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, especially those found in electronic cigarette devices, have increased rapidly in recent years.
non-profit group Material Focus It found there were 1,200 fires in bins, rubbish trucks and waste disposal sites in the UK alone in 2023, all linked to improperly disposed lithium-ion batteries. Most of these batteries were found in electronic cigarette devices.
The problem has become so widespread that Material Focus calls this phenomenon “evaporation“
Similarly, Ryan Fogelman, who follows fires in waste disposal facilities and recycling centers, used the phrase “electronic vapor effect”.
Discussing the increasing number of fires in such facilities, Fogelman wrote: Waste360“I attribute much of this change to the ‘vaping effect,’ which is the increase in lithium-ion battery fires resulting from improper disposal of e-cigarettes that we have seen increase significantly over the last four years.”
But as the incident in West Sussex shows, e-cigarettes don’t just pose a fire risk when disposed of improperly. Electronic cigarette devices can catch fire anywhere, even in one’s own home.
In addition to the risk of fire, e-cigarettes and other vaping devices pose other threats to public health and the environment. For example, a review Current scientific literature has found that e-cigarettes contain toxic heavy metals such as mercury and lead, as well as hazardous chemicals used as flame retardants. When e-cigarettes are not disposed of properly, these hazardous substances can leak into soil and water sources, threatening the environment and public health.
What is being done about this?
To limit the risk of fire and environmental contamination from vaping devices, it is important to ensure that used e-cigarettes are properly disposed of in specially designated drop-off areas.
Additionally, vapers around the world should heed warnings from UK fire authorities, which include advice to only purchase vaping devices from reputable outlets, unplug devices once fully charged, and never leave e-cigarettes unattended or charging overnight.
in the USA, Battery Safety Now The campaign aims to raise awareness about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries and encourage their proper disposal. On the campaign’s website useful tool This lets you easily find a used battery pickup location near you by simply entering your city, state, or zip code.
As the campaign slogan states, “Skip the trash, hand over your batteries!”
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