Firefighters are warning about a device often given away at parties, which is the cause of numerous domestic fires each year.
It’s almost Christmas! You are probably busy buying gifts for your loved ones. But be careful, because as reported in an article in the Journal du Net, firefighters are warning against a particular device, often offered during end-of-year celebrations.
Firefighters warn of the danger of electric scooters
An awareness campaign has just been launched in Yvelines. And not by just anyone since it was the firefighters who decided to display messages on their trucks. The objective: to alert you to a real danger that you are perhaps preparing to offer to your nephew. “We could no longer stand idly by in the face of the increase in incidents“declares Lieutenant David Montmartin, at the origin of this initiative.
Numerous fire outbreaks have been recorded in recent months, sometimes causing the death of individuals. According to firefighters, many of these fires originate from… electric scooters! Indeed, their batteries are made of lithium. And as Lieutenant-Colonel Sébastien Frémont points out, these batteries can become “real potential bombs”.
Lithium batteries blamed
But are lithium batteries really dangerous? It is a reaction inside the battery itself which can create a fire, and even an explosion. This process can be caused by a big shock to the battery. There are numerous videos shared on social networks which show fires linked to electric scooters and their batteries. Toxic fumes are released and pieces of the device are propelled.
The Yvelines firefighters became aware of the phenomenon, more and more common. “People have gotten into the habit of recharging their scooters near the entrance to their homes to avoid getting their interiors dirty. This is exactly what you should not do”confides Lieutenant-Colonel Frémont. And indeed, it is important to leave the path to the front door totally free so that they can escape in the event of a fire.
Other devices that can create fires
It’s not just electric scooters that have lithium batteries. They are also present in electric bikes and carssmartphones, vaping devices or even laptops. In reality, it would be more than half electronic devices that we use every day that include them.
The firefighters therefore remind us that we must be very careful and respect certain rules of caution. Only use original chargers and do not block your emergency exits with a charging device. Make sure your scooter doesn’t take too many hits. In case big shocksput the device aside to avoid any risk of fire.
Swiss
Related News :