MEDFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - Two house fires in Medford were caused by lithium-ion batteries, and the Medford Fire Department warns residents of their high flammability.
A multi-family home was in flames Saturday morning at 54 Dartmouth Street, resulting in a three-alarm fire that required nine crews from surrounding areas to help.
Officials said after fighting the fire for an hour and a half, an e-bike lithium-ion battery was found on the top floor charging and is believed to be the cause of the fire. The e-bike was stored outdoors.
In May, another Medford large duplex fire on Prescott and Allston streets was also caused by a lithium-ion battery. Medford Fire said that these two fires hospitalized three people and displaced over a dozen people.
“Lithium-ion batteries store a tremendous amount of power,” said State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey. “When they burn, they burn extremely hot and extremely fast.”
Another lithium-ion battery-caused fire in New Bedford displaced six people.
Officials say to charge the battery directly from a wall outlet, not a power strip or extension cord, and the battery should be charged on a hard stable surface. The battery should also not be plugged in once it’s fully charged.
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