Sarasota County warning of lithium-ion battery dangers

It sounds and looks like an explosion, and it all starts with a lithium-ion battery. The Sarasota County Fire Department released this video to make sure homeowners know exactly what can happen. Lithium-ion batteries have contributed to a growing number of fires across the nation. The batteries can be found in our phones, e-bikes, and scooters, even in our cars. Fox 13's Kimberly Quezon tells us how you can spot the warning signs that something could go wrong. The Sarasota County Fire Department says they've responded to seven structure fires this year, all caused in part by lithium-ion batteries. Take a look at this video from the Sarasota County Fire Department. It shows just how fast these batteries can ignite. This is a lithium-ion battery fire. It almost looks like the battery explodes, but it's actually a chain reaction. Cells inside the battery catch fire and spit out flames. There are some warning signs like swelling of the battery and excessive heat. Also, unusual odors are leaking and popping, hissing or other unusual noises. Sarasota County Fire Department says even a damaged battery can be a ticking time bomb. One of the challenges is you can't always tell that it's hot inside of the cell. So if you have visible fire, that's easy. But sometimes the cell is still hot inside and it can even ignite hours. I think in some cases even days later. So it can be super dangerous as they hit that thermal runaway. We use these batteries every day in phones, e-bikes, and scooters. Assistant Chief Couch says you don't need to ditch your devices, but you do need to play it safe. Always use the correct charger for your device, avoid cheap aftermarket cables. And if the battery ever feels unusually hot, unplug it immediately. If you see smoke, call 911. Assistant chief couch says lithium ion battery fires take a lot of water to put out and it's hard to get that water inside the batteries protective case and oftentimes these fires can reignite from Sarasota County. Kimberly Quezon Fox 13 news.