Adorable dog chewing on a lithium-ion battery took a scary turn causing a house fire

Some disastrous situations have a touch of humor when you look back at them. Especially, if you come out of them safely and there aren't any major or imminent damages. A similar thing happened when a pet dog managed to set a mattress inside a house on fire by chewing at a lithium-ion battery as per Tulsa Fire Department. There are hundreds of things people are warned about that cause fires. However, a pet playing with something that isn't an actual toy probably rarely makes the list.

However, the handling of lithium-ion batteries is quite a serious concern and can cause major accidents. Andy Little, a public information officer from the Tulsa Fire Department warned people about the hazards of lithium-ion batteries by sharing the video of the house catching fire because a pet chewed at a battery. The officer shared that such fires have been affecting fire departments across the country. “Lithium-ion batteries are known for storing a significant amount of energy in a compact space, however when this energy is released uncontrollably, it can generate heat, produce flammable and toxic gasses and even lead to explosions,” the officer revealed.

“These incidents can occur due to various reasons, such as exposure to extreme heat, physical damage to the battery, overcharging, or even using incompatible charging equipment,” Little explained. "A home fire in the Tulsa area had been sparked by a pet chewing through the housing of a portable lithium-ion battery meant for charging cellphones." Little shared how many people keep such batteries at their homes for convenience, unaware of the dangers they might pose. In a video, a pet dog brings in a battery to play with and lies on a mattress with the battery in its mouth. There's another dog on the sofa and a cat close by. The pet is chewing up the battery thinking that it's just another toy to play with.

Initially, when the dog chewed through the case there were sparks that made the dog and the other pets aware of the danger. The pets jumped away from the source immediately, hiding and running away to safety. However, the dogs watched the mattress catch fire from a distance before one of them ran away. The dog who chewed through the battery stood in the living room where the fire started, barking to probably catch the owner's attention. The dog stood there looking quite confused for a while before it made an escape as the fire started spreading. "Fortunately, the pets were able to escape unharmed through a dog door. However, the outcome could have been much worse if there was no means of escape or if the family was asleep at the time," Little pointed out.

The fire department was able to make it to the house on time and prevent any significant damage but Little urged people to use such batteries as per manufacturer's guidelines. He also encouraged people to store such devices out of reach of children and pets. He suggested that the correct disposal of such batteries is also essential and they should never be thrown in "household garbage or recycling bins," as they can cause fires during transportation. Such batteries can be disposed at designated spots or through household hazardous waste disposal systems.