Here’s what happens when a lithium ion battery explodes
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REXBURG — Firefighters with the Madison and Idaho Falls Fire Departments, along with deputies from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, watched Wednesday as a pack of lithium-ion battery cells burst into flames.
The demonstration was part of a three-day training hosted by Grand Teton Energy Systems in Rexburg.
Brad Hill, the company’s logistics manager overseeing the training, tells EastIdahoNews.com the purpose of the demonstration is to show authorities what happens when a battery explodes so they’re better prepared to respond to an emergency.
“The mass amount of batteries in people’s houses … can make the fire a lot worse,” Hill says.
Hill and his team first showed officials how an individual battery cell reacts to flames. The explosion of the pack of cells had the most intense reaction, which you can watch in the video above.
“A vehicle (battery) is going to have upwards of 10-12 packs,” Hill explains. “That’s why vehicle fires are so crazy.”
Grand Teton Energy Systems makes batteries for commercial clients in the military, aerospace and medical industries. It also makes batteries for golf carts, RVs and motor sports — many of which are sold at companies in eastern Idaho. Hill says these types of batteries are found in a variety of products, ranging from cell phones to vehicles and farm equipment.
Hill says most of the batteries they make are designed to be less volatile and reduce the chances of a vehicle or other object erupting into flames.
Ellis Johnston, the battalion chief for the Madison Fire Department, was among those in attendance at Wednesday’s training. He says the visual demonstration is helpful.
Although batteries are rarely the direct cause of a fire, he says it’s beneficial to know of the danger and the damage it can cause.
“These batteries are all around us and we live with them,” Johnston says. “If we have a battery fire like this, it’s going to be a bad day.”
Johnston says identifying whether a battery is present during a fire is not always easy to determine. There isn’t a specific protocol for dealing with it, either. The goal in every situation is to protect the area and get people out of harm’s way, and he says this demonstration helps them be prepared for every possibility.
For him, the hazardous nature of batteries around flames and the importance of prevention are the main takeaways from Wednesday’s demonstration.
“Anything we can do to prevent the problem will save lives, as well as a lot of time and property damage,” he says.
Patrol Lt. Lyle Rasmussen with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office expresses a similar sentiment.
Law enforcement’s job during a fire is to secure the area and makes sure it’s safe for firefighters. Rasmussen says knowing about the danger is enlightening.
“I had no clue how combustible they are,” says Rasmussen.
The final day of training is Friday.