Something We All Have In Our Homes Started This House Fire

I came across this article the other day and was kind of shocked at what I found out. Many might already know about this, I didn't and some others may not as well. It's a common mistake many people make so here's your warning: Storing batteries in metal tins is a big no-no! Some good real life situations in the comments section if you want to visit the link. Here is one:

OMG! ** 3 months ago I put my batteries in a International Coffees’ tin next to my computer, later I smelled something odd. Luckily I searched with my nose and found that the tin with the AA and AAA batteries was finger-blistering hot and so were the other batteries in it smelling like a chemical fire. 2 batteries were upright and touching both the bottom & top of the tin causing them to heat up! I am so thankful My HOUSE didnt’ BURN down. PLEASE DON’T STORE YOUR BATTERIES IN METAL CONTAINERS! TAPE THE POSTS OF YOUR 9-VOLTS! PLEASE COPY & PASTE THIS! Save a life ~Sally Schiefer


themotherlist.com...

UPDATE: This applies to ALL batteries, new or used. We highly recommend a battery storage case or simply putting electrical tape over the ends of the batteries.

This site is a video for the information. A good watch if you can, even have your kids watch.

ETA: This comment also is important. NO METAL with batteries!

To be absolutely safe you should cover the terminals on any loose batteries. It is less likely that something like this would happen with AA, AAA, C, or D style batteries, but I’ve heard of cases where they were stored in a drawer with keys or other items that shorted them out as well.

The nature interpretive centre in my town has a program where they recycle batteries. There is always a 45 gallon rain barrel half full of random batteries that people drop off sitting in the lobby. I've warned them many times that it is going to burn down the building some day but they seem pretty ok with that.

originally posted by: CraftBuilder
The nature interpretive centre in my town has a program where they recycle batteries. There is always a 45 gallon rain barrel half full of random batteries that people drop off sitting in the lobby. I've warned them many times that it is going to burn down the building some day but they seem pretty ok with that.

It's called legal Insurance Fraud!

a reply to: CraftBuilder

Maybe a little nudge of documented disaster will help them 'feel the heat' so to speak. I went through all of my desk drawers and everywhere I could think of to clear out potential problems. On the search now for old items with old leaked batteries in them. After finding a few, have I been negligent!

a reply to: StoutBroux

DON’T STORE YOUR BATTERIES IN METAL CONTAINERS

Well duh!!!!

Here I thought that was common sense but I guess not.

a reply to: CraftBuilder

If the batteries are dead there's no problem, the problem happens with charged batteries, as the current they can produce when short-circuited is relatively high, high enough to burn the battery or any flammable material close to it. The higher the voltage the easier it is for that to happen, I doubt a new AA or AAA battery would be able to provide a current strong enough to start a fire.

PS: cell-phone and laptop batteries are much worse, as they are much more powerful.

My guess was the electric blanket.


Electric Blanket Fires Stats

Experts estimate that an average of 5,000 house fires are caused by electric blankets every year.

originally posted by: ArMaP
a reply to: CraftBuilder

If the batteries are dead there's no problem, the problem happens with charged batteries, as the current they can produce when short-circuited is relatively high, high enough to burn the battery or any flammable material close to it. The higher the voltage the easier it is for that to happen, I doubt a new AA or AAA battery would be able to provide a current strong enough to start a fire.

PS: cell-phone and laptop batteries are much worse, as they are much more powerful.

I've seen perfectly good cell phone batteries out of the phones that are being recycled in the bin next to it in there. Anything goes including large sealed lead acid batteries. I've gotten 70 amps out of a 12X7 SLA. That will melt down a small wrench. With all of the lithium batteries in there it is going to be a giant roman candle some day.

PS - Don't overestimate the internal resistance of modern batteries. I've seen short circuit currents with AA cells approaching 10 amps.

a reply to: StoutBroux

A friend of mine had a 9 volt rechargeable battery in his pocket (the type with two terminals at one end) anyway, a coin in his pocket bridged the two terminals, welding itself in place (the internal resistance of a NiCd battery is very low meaning they will dump very high current across a short).

Anyway, the battery burnt its way out of his pocket before he could remove it, leaving him branded for life and very sore and a perfect rectangular burnt hole in his jeans.

originally posted by: Grimpachi
a reply to: StoutBroux

DON’T STORE YOUR BATTERIES IN METAL CONTAINERS

Well duh!!!!

Here I thought that was common sense but I guess not.

Never ever heard or thought about it before this. Unfortunately, we're not all rocket scientists, or even science anything for that matter. I and many other intellectually challenged need a bit of extra help sometimes.

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: StoutBroux

A friend of mine had a 9 volt rechargeable battery in his pocket (the type with two terminals at one end) anyway, a coin in his pocket bridged the two terminals, welding itself in place (the internal resistance of a NiCd battery is very low meaning they will dump very high current across a short).

Anyway, the battery burnt its way out of his pocket before he could remove it, leaving him branded for life and very sore and a perfect rectangular burnt hole in his jeans.

Wow, bad for him but a great story to tell. I've slipped a battery in my pants pocket I've picked up off the counter or floor before, fortunately, I was too damn broke for any injury to occur

a reply to: StoutBroux

I use rechargeable batteries that get a lot of use but any that aren't being used I keep in a ziplock bag in the freezer to help preserve their charge.

We just got done watching a show on Nat Geo that was about how to use common household items in a pinch to overcome disaster issues, and 9 Volts are very useful little fire starters. I remember my husband remarking on that.

a reply to: ketsuko

Check out what it does to a brillo pad.

a reply to: Swills

You want some more fun, dip the brillo in candle wax and let it harden, THEN do that. It goes off like fireworks, very alarming.

a reply to: StoutBroux
Thanks for the heads up, we immediately checked our battery stash in the basement after reading your very informative thread.
All is good as we have them stored in a cardboard shoe box, it could very well have been a tin cookie box we just forgot which it was......
S&F
Regards, Iwinder

Ok, my guess was a bag of tater chips.

Why?

That's the #1 way to torch your house and get away with it. It's an old arsonist's trick. You put a couple of bags of Lay's by the kitchen curtains, then light the corner of one of the bags and adios muchacho. They'll go up like a Molotov. But they won't show as an accelerant when they run the fire dogs through later.

And now you know, the rest of the story.

That's one of those things you'd assume people know, but I'm not surprised not everyone does.

Good post! Could save someone some heartache in the future.

I had an incident at my office I never guessed could have happened about 6 years or so ago. I had gone to the bank and when I walked back in I smelled something burning and everyone was trying to figure it out. I had a fresh sniffer from being outside and it led me straight to the back corner where the alley security door was. I felt the wall there and about a two foot radius area felt very hot.

I poked a hole in the wall and got a whiff of smoke, so I sprayed the fire extinguisher in the wall and called the Fire Dept.. They came and enlarged the hole and sure enough, the plywood sheeting beneath the siding had a large round area of hot coals.

First thing they did was start looking to see if someone had thrown a cigarette against the wall outside, but that was not it. Homeless hang out there often, as it's a good spot to get out of sight and have a place to sit and I've never minded, but it was not anything they did.

Then CANADA COMES TO THE RESCUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No really, a Canadian Fire Fighter who was a forensics guy visiting for more training in our city figured it out and it was odd.

The alley side had stucco over plywood siding. That corner of the building is where all the utilities come in and there is a large metal box there with phone gear and underground conduit that connects from the pole on the other side of the alley to a panel on the side of the building. The conduit was secured below the panel with a metal bracket by long screws through the plywood.

One of the Fire Fighters came and grabbed me to show me what their guest had found. The stucco had a metal mesh backing and the screws from the bracket were touching the mesh against the plywood. He reached over with a metal object and I could see a little spark jump when he moved the wire from the mesh back and forth. The mesh was red hot which was really odd as the conduit should not have live wires in it.

We go outside and put a meter on the conduit and run a lead to ground and it's reading 7 volts. Turned out that another conduit carrying power from the pole to the junction box going to a building next door was the cause. The idiot who owned the property had torn down his building and just smashed down the old conduit into a trench he'd dug out with a backhoe and buried it. He never thought to call the utility company to disconnect it at the pole. The result was the conduit turned into a live wire.

Apparently the conduits were close to each other under the alley and combined with the moisture in the soil had heated up the phone conduit. Over a few weeks, the plywood had gotten hotter and hotter until it turned into a red hot coal in the wall. We were lucky that day.

I mention my story because it shows even low voltage like that in a battery can cause a fire if touching metal.

originally posted by: StoutBroux
I came across this article the other day and was kind of shocked at what I found out. Many might already know about this, I didn't and some others may not as well. It's a common mistake many people make so here's your warning: Storing batteries in metal tins is a big no-no! Some good real life situations in the comments section if you want to visit the link. Here is one:

OMG! ** 3 months ago I put my batteries in a International Coffees’ tin next to my computer, later I smelled something odd. Luckily I searched with my nose and found that the tin with the AA and AAA batteries was finger-blistering hot and so were the other batteries in it smelling like a chemical fire. 2 batteries were upright and touching both the bottom & top of the tin causing them to heat up! I am so thankful My HOUSE didnt’ BURN down. PLEASE DON’T STORE YOUR BATTERIES IN METAL CONTAINERS! TAPE THE POSTS OF YOUR 9-VOLTS! PLEASE COPY & PASTE THIS! Save a life ~Sally Schiefer


themotherlist.com...

UPDATE: This applies to ALL batteries, new or used. We highly recommend a battery storage case or simply putting electrical tape over the ends of the batteries.

This site is a video for the information. A good watch if you can, even have your kids watch.

ETA: This comment also is important. NO METAL with batteries!

To be absolutely safe you should cover the terminals on any loose batteries. It is less likely that something like this would happen with AA, AAA, C, or D style batteries, but I’ve heard of cases where they were stored in a drawer with keys or other items that shorted them out as well.

I always heard that about steel wool and batteries.

Good info..I'm a flashlight junkie, so I watch this closely as well.

I have another one to add...My dryer overheated, and almost ignited the laundry room recently. I keep the lint trap clean and the exhaust line clear as well.

Up on the roof, I pulled out the critter cage and there was a giant pack of lint in it.
I shared this info w 2 other people and they had the same issue as well.

It now runs like its a new machine, as a bonus.