Firefighters warn of hazards of battery-powered lawnmowers

August 18, 2022
5:45 am

PEEKSKILL – A man mowing his lawn with a battery-powered lawnmower encountered a battery problem on Tuesday that required an extended response from emergency personnel. A smoking Lithium-ion (Li-io) battery on the mower began to smoke while the mower was in operation and continued after the machine was stopped.

The man called 911 after the battery continued to smoke. The Peekskill Fire Department arrived and placed the battery in a 5-gallon bucket of water to cool it down and stop the chemical reaction known as “Thermal Runaway” from continuing.

With the volatility of Lithium-ion batteries known to create dangerous situations, Westchester County Chief of Special Operations Doug Stiller responded to the scene to assist, according to county officials.

According to Westchester County officials “Li-ion batteries are known to have issues with overheating and flammability when they become damaged. Once they catch fire, they are extremely difficult to put out due to a chemical process called Thermal Runaway. The best way to extinguish them is to flood the battery with copious amounts of water.”

The Li-ion battery cells first begin to fail when it is subjected to abusive factors like heat, improper charging, or being dropped. “This can lead to off-gassing and hissing, smoke, and eventually fire. Smoke and fire often occur almost simultaneously, so by the time you see smoke, thermal runaway has typically already begun,” County officials warned.

Off-gassing typically occurs due to a breakdown of the Li-ion battery cell electrolyte, causing over-pressurization of the battery case. The battery’s temperature rises drastically and then smoke is emitted and fire breaks out. The off-gassing of toxic fumes poses a major health hazard. “These batteries are known to off-gas Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) and other toxic gases. HF can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin. When HF comes in contact with water it will create Hydrofluoric Acid. This exposure can lead to very serious illnesses such as damage to lung tissue and other internal organs, skin ulcers, pulmonary edema, and irritation to the eyes, nose, and respiratory tract,” according to Westchester County emergency personnel.

Chief Stiller contacted the NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC) for a “CellBlock Fire Containment System” container to properly dispose of the battery.OFPC responded from Poughkeepsie with the container to allow for proper disposal of the battery.

Information on the proper disposal of Lithium-ion batteries can be found here.