Noosa’s fire chief has issued a warning about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries, particularly over the New Year period.
Station Officer Brian Riley said there were many dangers with over-charging the batteries, particularly on e-bikes and scooters.
Lithium-ion batteries are also used in mobile phones.
“We’ve had cases where a phone was being charged overnight under a dooner and it caught fire,” Mr Riley said.
He said the batteries can cause fires that are hard to put out, can restart even if they appear to be out and create toxic fumes and explosive gas.
Apart from phones and e-bikes, they are also used for power tools, cordless vacuums, laptops, toys and cameras. Even electric toothbrushes.
The fire service recommends unplugging once the batteries are fully charged, only charge on hard surfaces and in a cool, dry place.
“They should also be charged in a well ventilated space,” Mr Riley said.
The fire service warns that if there is a fire, smoke or white cloud coming from a battery, or there is popping or hissing noises, residents should not touch the battery, warn others and move to a safe place, don’t breathe the air around the battery and call Triple Zero.
