Pittsburgh fire officials sound alarm on lithium-ion batteries
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — As technology becomes more advanced, firefighters are dealing with an emerging threat — lithium-ion batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries are small, durable and pack a ton of charging power. So it's no wonder why lithium-ion batteries are so hot in the tech industry right now.
But when they fail or overheat, these batteries can explode, causing fierce and unpredictable fires.
"They're very difficult to extinguish," said Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Chief Darryl Jones.
His department was just dispatched to one in Millvale last month.
"It was a building facility where they were using lithium-ion batteries to store power from solar cells. So the batteries were a problem. They put off very toxic gasses, high heat, water is not effective," the chief said.
That's why hazmat units are called out to deploy a granulated glass product called cell block. Crews wearing full fire gear will place the battery in a specialized steel drum and cover it with the agent.
"This will suppress the gasses and eventually lower the temperature of the batter below its combustion temperature and the battery will go out," Chief Jones said.
If manufacturers do not find a fix, the chief said, as more electric vehicles hit the market, fires in places like at home or public parking garages could increase, which is something your average sprinkler system will not be able to handle.