Parents of pupils in London, Ontario may be wondering what their kids take with them when they leave for school. This was after a student battery backpack fire, which thankfully caused no injuries, according to CBC Canada.
The local fire department has again warned citizens of the dangers of lithium-ion batteries, and the need to treat them with respect. This was after an emergency team responded, and found the remains of a fire on the second floor of the high school.
Why Did The Student Backpack Catch Fire?
CBC Canada reports that the root cause of the fire was a damaged portable battery charger, which we take to be a power bank. These chargers regularly contain several lithium-ion batteries, which contain liquids that can catch alight.
The student had apparently left their backpack unattended while their faulty power bank charged another device. Fire platoon chief Janie Britton had difficulty concealing his frustration, when he spoke to the CBC reporter.
“We’re trying to put that safety message out there,” he said. “That if you do have a lithium battery, do not charge them in a backpack or leave them charging unattended. We do have instances of this quite often.”
More About the Battery Fire in the Backpack
It sounds as if there may have been more that one student battery backpack fire in the London, Ontario region. Fortunately, the school had planned for this, and the vice-principal was able to extinguish the two-foot flames shooting out of the backpack.
Luckily there were no injuries from the lithium-ion battery fire this time. School staff were able to evacuate the students to safety before the fire department arrived. Although all concerned had to wait outside until the smoke and the toxic fumes cleared.
“It’s a good thing it was quickly noticed by the teacher” fire platoon chief Janie Britton continues. “There was a very quick evacuation by the staff and students.” Lithium-ion batteries have become commonplace at schools, making ongoing student battery safety training essential.
More Information
Canadian Standards For Lithium-Ion Batteries
Fire Extinguisher Box for Batteries
