Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service offers advice around lithium battery safety
We're being encouraged to take care when charging any new products
People in the East Midlands are being urged to take 'extra care' with batteries over the festive season.
Fire crews warn that leaving Christmas lights on or charging new devices overnight can be dangerous.
Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service Station Manager Barclay Masterson has this advice around batteries:
"A battery fire happens when a battery, often a lithium ion type, gets damaged, overheats or short circuits that can cause the battery to ignite and burn intensely, sometimes with explosive effect. Common causes of battery fires include overcharging, using the wrong charger, physical damage like crushing or puncturing, exposure to heat or overheating, or even mixing old and new batteries together. Throwing batteries in the bin can also lead to damage that starts a fire later so...
"Never put your batteries in your household bin. Take them to a battery recycling point. Most supermarkets and shops have these.
"Battery fires can destroy properties in minutes and put lives at risk.
"Something important to consider is the bigger the battery, the more energy it stores, the more energy it stores, the far more intense the fire can be if it fails. So a large power tool battery or E-scooter battery is far more dangerous than a small AA battery.
"These fires burn extremely hot, produce toxic smoke, and can spread very quickly. They're also very hard to put out because they can re-ignite even after you think they've extinguished.
"And remember, batteries are everywhere: phones, toys, decorations, E-scooters... the risk is far closer to home than people may realise.
"So, it's vital that any items that contain large, lithium ion batteries, are charged or stored in areas that don't compromise your escape from your house or flat - should they fail."