Greenfields home gutted in fire sparked by charging lithium-ion battery

A Greenfields home has been gutted in a fire sparked by a charging lithium-ion battery which caused $400,000 in damage. Emergency services were called to a home on Cherrytree Court in Mandurah’s east around 11.15am on Sunday after it was reported the front of the house was on fire. Four firefighting crews attended and were able to stop the blaze from spreading to the back half of the home, a Department of Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson said. The fire was extinguished by 12.30pm. The home’s owners were at home when the fire broke out but were able to escape unharmed, with no injuries reported. Although the damage was contained, the fire is estimated to have caused about $400,000 damage to the home. A charging lithium-ion battery in the front of the home was determined as the cause of the fire. The fire came just days after DFES issued a warning over the potential fire dangers of the batteries, with fire crews responding to 70 fires ignited by lithium-ion batteries already this year. Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said e-rideables were particularly dangerous when overcharged and urged owners to closely monitor their devices when they were charging and unplug them once they have reached full capacity. Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Darren Klemm said it was important to buy quality made, reputable batteries and reminded owners to not leave their devices leaning against anything combustible. “The fire load inside homes these days is far greater than it was,” he said. “A lot of our furniture and other products are far more combustible. “So when we’re charging e-rideables or lithium-ion batteries, we need to make sure they’re not against anything that’s combustible.”