CARLSBAD, Calif. (CNS) - A residential fire ignited in Carlsbad Tuesday, and officials pointed to a lithium-ion battery in an electric scooter as the likely culprit.
Crews were dispatched to the 3000 block of Levante Street just before 6 a.m. Tuesday. Firefighters contained the fire to the garage, where the e- scooter was located, but the family living at the house was still displaced, according to the Carlsbad Fire Department.
No injuries were reported. An investigation was ongoing, but officials said they believed the fire was ignited by a charging e-scooter battery in the garage.
If the cause of the fire is confirmed, this would mark the second battery-related fire under investigation in Carlsbad in a little more than a week.
The first fire happened on February 26 around 11 a.m. "Fire Department crews responded to reports of a single-unit apartment fire at the Villa Loma Apartments in central Carlsbad. When they arrived, it appeared an e-bike battery had caught on fire inside the unit. There were no injuries, and damages are estimated to be $7,000," the city said.
A spokesperson for the city of Carlsbad said this would be the second fire in the last week in the city that began due to lithium-ion batteries. The statement added that the issue was one of national concern, citing an e-bike battery that reportedly sparked a five-alarm fire in New York City last weekend.
Last November, lithium-ion batteries caught fire near downtown San Diego, which forced dozens of residents to evacuate and left one injured.
"Lithium-ion batteries have become a national issue of concern. Fire departments across the country have seen an increase in serious fires caused by charging e-bikes, electric scooters, cell phones, computers, tablets, gaming devices and power tools. When these batteries overheat, they can catch fire and even explode. The fires they spark also release toxic gases," said a city spokesperson.
