Charging Lithium-Ion Battery Cause of Fire

Tour Commander, 509.625.7100

Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at 1:41 p.m.

At 7:10 PM June 21, 2022, the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) was dispatched to a structure on fire in the 2300 Block of East South Crescent Avenue. Initial reports from a passerby indicated heavy smoke was coming from a neighbor's home, and they could hear a smoke alarm sounding.

The first company arrived within 6-minutes and reported a working fire inside the residence. The fire was quickly extinguished, and the home sustained moderate heat and smoke damage throughout the structure. The home's occupant was not inside the fire at the time of discovery. When he was aware of the fire, he attempted to enter the home with portable fire extinguishers. While the extinguishers were discharged, the fire continued to grow and create a hazardous situation for the occupant. The SFD will always encourage community members to leave a structure during a fire and never return until the incident is mitigated and safe to do so. The occupant was evaluated for smoke inhalation and was not transported to the hospital.

The cause of the fire was determined to be a charging Lithium-Ion Battery that failed.