Every year Fire Departments across the country are committed to teaching fire safety during October. The lessons learned during these tours and presentations are invaluable and need to be practiced every day to keep us all safe.
During February Concordville Fire & Protective Association, Company 59 was dispatched to a building fire in a commercial business with reported smoke and electrical arching occurring within the structure. upon arrival the first in units found a light smoke condition at the cash register area of the business. Further investigation determined the cause of the fire was a mixed bag of used batteries stored on the counter for recycle disposal.
Batteries, particularly 9 volt batteries have been determined to be the cause of numerous house fires across the country. All to often we open a double pack of 9 volt batteries use the one we need and toss the remaining batteries in a draw for future use. It only takes one metal object in that draw or the metal poles of other batteries to connect with the positive & negative poles on a 9 volt battery to start a chain reaction of ignition.
This incident had a positive outcome, check your battery storage to insure you are not subject to this type of fire in your house or business.