Thursday, May 2, 2024
As this Christmas season comes to an end, many children will be spending the next few days enjoying their presents from Santa.
But some presents — like electric bicycles and scooters — can potentially become fire hazards if left unattended.
E-BICYCLES AND SCOOTERS
After investigating a scooter fire last month, Hood County Deputy Fire Marshal Terry Worcester realized that these incidents are now becoming more prevalent than ever before.
He encourages Hood County residents to keep an eye on their electric bicycles and scooters, especially when they charge, as lithium batteries are the leading cause of these motorized vehicles.
"Lithium batteries store a lot of energy and produce a lot of heat while charging,” he said. “Most fires occur while charging and very few occur while riding. If the lithium battery swells too much, it creates a leak of its compounds and this leak will cause other lithium cells to fail, thus leading to overheating and the possibility of a fire.”
Worcester advises residents to use caution when replacing an electric scooter battery and to always stick with the original battery manufacturer.
“I have also seen where using a different charger can cause a fire,” he said. “It is highly recommended to replace batteries with original manufactured batteries for it can be a gamble if mixing original parts. The same applies to chargers, especially when a garage houses both an electric scooter and bike. These chargers cannot be used on different makes and models, and they look quite similar. It’s best to label all chargers to avoid an accidental mix up of grabbing the wrong charger.”
To ensure safety with these motorized vehicles, Worcester encourages individuals to adhere to the following tips:
⦁ Look for a UL (Underwriters’ Laboratories) listed bicycle or scooter. This shows that a laboratory has done extensive tests on the product and deems it safe.
⦁ Never leave the unit charging unattended. Never plug a unit in to charge and go to bed.
⦁ Don’t charge around flammable or combustible materials.
⦁ Don’t store E-bikes or scooters on a full charge for an extended period of time. This increases the chance of a chemical reaction within the lithium cells.
⦁ Don’t modify your E-bike or scooter. This is what causes most fires while riding.
⦁ Don’t use batteries that have been dropped, crashed or had a hard impact.
⦁ Keep an ABC chemical fire extinguisher handy and keep it mounted so it has a permanent home.
“Electric bicycles and scooters have proven to be safe and reliable when used correctly, but just like anything mechanical, anything can fail,” Worcester added. “We simply need to be more aware of the safety sides of using these new types of entertainment and avoid mistakes which can lead to not just a small fire, but one that takes everything you own and even your life.”
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS
Although residents will soon be taking down their Christmas decorations, Worcester advised the public to not place a candle or an electric heater too close to the tree in the next several days.
“The number one guilty party product that causes house fires during Christmas is a heat source being too close to the Christmas tree. Candles come in right behind that,” he said. “As a rough estimate, one-third of home decoration fires are started by candles. More than two out of five decoration fires are from decorations being too close to a heat source.”
Worcester said around 200 fires a year are caused by Christmas trees, while more than 750 fires are caused by Christmas lights.
With lights, he said, people make the mistake of using staples or nails to hang them up instead of the usual plastic holders, while others don’t adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions.
"There's indoor and outdoor lights, and people need to make sure that if it's an indoor light, it needs to be put indoors,” he said. “It doesn't matter if it's an LED. They can still short out quicker from rain because they're not made for that.”
He also suggested that everyone should inspect their lights when storing them each year to make sure they are still working properly.
“They’re always aging — even in a box out in the shed, they are aging — so if they’re beyond three years old, you should inspect them,” Worcester said.
FIREWORKS
As New Year's Day approaches and people start purchasing fireworks, Worcester reminds Hood County residents to limit the shooting of fireworks to their own property and outside of the city of Granbury.
“Last year, these guys not only didn't have permission from a church, but they were also on private property of a church,” he said. “They thought that the parking lot was just a big parking lot, but the firework they shot went across a highway, into private property. Make sure you have permission from wherever you're discharging them. Don't just look for a place that's vacant.”
He also recommends that after lighting off a firework to make sure that the embers are completely out before leaving the area.
"I have seen where they were lit up near my volunteer station where you could fire them, and I'd be out patrolling, and I'd see a little flicker off some of the paper. They thought it was out, but it wasn't,” he said. “You should have a fire extinguisher or water around you whenever you're (lighting fireworks) because that way you can try to mitigate a fire if it is accidentally caused. You can never be too safe when operating fireworks. You always want to employ safety.”
Worcester added that residents should also do routine checks on their smoke detectors and to always keep a fire extinguisher in their home.
"A lot of people have homes, and I don't know why for the life of me, but they just don't have a fire extinguisher,” he said. “If you're afraid of it, we understand, you know, get out, use the door. We don't expect the public to fight fires; they are scary. But our smoke detectors are our first at-home defense against a fire, and everyone should have a fire extinguisher — even if it’s under the sink — as long as they know where it’s at.”
For more information on holiday safety tips, visit usfa.fema.gov online.
