Carbon Monoxide Alarm Points to Lithium Ion Batteries on Charger

Firefighters responded to a west side home for a carbon monoxide alarm sounding. Homeowners reported the carbon monoxide alarm began sounding in the basement the previous night.

Ladder Co. 7 used air monitors to confirm the presence of low levels of carbon monoxide in the basement. Firefighters identified the source to be a lithium ion battery charger that had two batteries charging on it.

MGE also responded and confirmed all home appliances were functioning normally. MGE and MFD determined there were no other carbon monoxide sources present. Firefighters ventilated the basement to clear the carbon monoxide from the air.

Safety Tips: Lithium ion batteries that show signs of damage or are malfunctioning in any way should not be used because they pose a higher risk of starting on fire. The City of Madison will recycle your lithium ion batteries for you. Place tape over the contact points that transfer power from the battery (see example) before dropping them off for disposal. Do not throw lithium ion batteries in the trash!

Visit our Lithium Ion Battery resource page to learn more about safe use, charging, storage, and disposal of your lithium ion batteries.

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