WASHINGTON — The lithium ion battery on an electric scooter was the cause of a fire that burned through a three-story apartment building on Tuesday – critically injuring one person and leaving 23 people without a home, investigators said Wednesday.
DC Fire and EMS first tweeted about the fire around 11:50 a.m. Tuesday, which was in the 1300 block of Peabody Street NW.
One person was critically injured, and others had to be rescued from a fire in the apartment building.
“These fires ignite and spread so quickly, that there's really not almost any time to get away from an incident like this,” said DC’s Fire Marshal Captain Mitchell Kannery.
Multiple dogs and a cat were also rescued. A firefighter also suffered minor injuries.
The fire department said 23 people were displaced as a result of the fire, as nine units were deemed uninhabitable.
Investigators said Wednesday that remains of a scooter appeared to be the origin of the fire.
"It was powered by lithium-ion batteries that go into thermal runaway & ignite with explosive force if improperly charged, overcharged, or charged with a knock-off device, resulting in a serious fire," the fire department posted on X.
“Virtually every electronic that we're coming in contact with has these in some kind of form or fashion. So, it's really about being smart,” the Fire Marshal explained, “not leaving them charged unattended, not overcharging them, following the manufacturer's recommendations.”
Kannery said lithium-ion batteries are responsible for less than a dozen fires a year in the District, but DCFEMS is issuing warnings and showcasing videos to demonstrate just how quickly the flames can spread.
“Making sure that the charger that comes with the device is the one that you use, because using a different type of charger can either charge too fast or put too much energy through these devices and that's when we run into problems,” Capt. Kannery continued, “that's why we stress all these things about making sure these devices are not in an exit path.”
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