Ann Arbor garage fire potentially caused by lithium-ion battery for electric lawn mower, officials say

Kamala Harris and Oprah Winfrey to visit Michigan, RFK Jr. to stay on ballot and more top stories

(CBS DETROIT) - The Ann Arbor Fire Department is warning residents to be cautious after a fire that occurred at a home Wednesday afternoon is believed to have been caused by a lithium-ion battery. 

At 12:30 p.m., fire officials responded to reports of a house fire in the 300 block of Skydale, west of Pontiac Trail. 

When they arrived, they discovered the fire in the home's attached garage. Firefighters extinguished the fire, and damage was limited to the garage. 

STRUCTURE FIRE - September 18, 2024 at 12:30 PM, shift 1, citywide responded on a house fire in the 300 block of Skydale (west off of Pontiac Trail). AAFD arrived to find a fire in the attached garage with no one home. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire limiting damage to the garage. Several animals were evacuated by neighbors, and one cat was located unharmed by firefighters. There were no injuries. The fire is under investigation. However, initial indications are a lithium-ion battery that was charging for an electric lawn mower. We strongly recommend not charging batteries when not at home and take the batteries off the charger once full. Also, do not charge batteries in an exit path.

Posted by City of Ann Arbor Fire Department - Government on Wednesday, September 18, 2024

No one was home at the time of the incident, but neighbors evacuated several animals. Firefighters also found one cat. 

Fire officials say there were no injuries. 

The department is investigating the fire, but they believe that a lithium-ion battery for an electric lawn mower that was charging was the cause of the fire. 

"We strongly recommend not charging batteries when not at home and take the batteries off the charger once full," the Ann Arbor Fire Department said. "Also, do not charge batteries in an exit path."

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.