ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Calls tied to lithium-ion batteries are keeping fire crews busy in St. Pete, and firefighters across the country are using this week to educate and help prevent more of these dangerous blazes. They say they’re responding to these incidents at an alarming rate.
“Of the fires we have investigated this year, 28% have been battery-related. It’s a real issue, and we are seeing an increase,” said St. Pete Fire Rescue Division Chief Ian Womack.Â
Nationwide, there were more than 2,500 battery incidents in 2024.Â
Lithium-ion batteries are in phones, tablets, AirTags, e-bikes, scooters, golf carts and countless other everyday devices.
Cutting Lithium-ion battery fire risks
Firefighters shared practical ways to make charging safer, including:
Look for a safety certification on the device.Only use the charging equipment that comes with the device — or from the manufacturer.Don’t leave devices charging unattended.Keep e-bikes and e-scooters outside your living space when charging or storing – not inside your home.
What they’re saying:
Chief Womack underscored why the right charger matters.
“Often times when charges go bad, people replace them on Amazon. You have to remember, the charger has to be properly calibrated to the battery in your device, or it will overcharge it.”
St. Pete City Councilman Copley Gerdes said he learned that the hard way, using his watch charger to charge his air tag.
“I had never had an air tag before — I put it on my watch charger, got into the shower, and it blew up my watch charger,” said Gerdes.
What you can do:
When batteries are dead, firefighters said don’t throw them out. Improperly discarded batteries can spark fires in trash trucks and landfills.Â
Call2Recycle.org lists locations nationwide where you can safely recycle lithium-ion batteries.
The Source: Sources for this report include a city council meeting, information from the National Fire Protection Association and past reporting.