Lithium-ion battery explodes in US apartment: ‘This could have been a very different story’

Roughly 38 cities and towns identified 50 lithium-ion battery fires between last October and the middle of April, more than double the annual average detected by a national fire data reporting system. — Unsplash

A lithium-ion battery meant for an electric scooter burst into flames in a Chelsea apartment, injuring five people and prompting a reminder from fire officials on how to safely handle the popular devices.

Chelsea firefighters responded to 32 Carmel St., at about 12.40am last Saturday after receiving reports of a fire. As they arrived, they observed smoke and flames on the first floor in the rear of the three-story, four-unit dwelling, the state Fire Marshal’s Office said in a release May 29.