Neighbors save Westside home from battery fire – edhat

Shortly before 7:00 p.m. Saturday (June 1), a couple returning home from a walk noticed smoke coming from a residence near Valerio and Calle Boca Del Cañion in west Santa Barbara.

The couple was able to open the garage door and used a nearby garden hose to try to put out the fire.

It turns out that a scooter plugged in for charging had its batteries explode and scatter around the garage. Some batteries were ricocheting off the garage door, others were inside the garage.

The water appeared to have no effect on the lithium batteries themselves, but it nonetheless prevented the fire from spreading.

At least three Santa Barbara Fire trucks arrived on scene.

The homeowners quickly returned from a bike ride and were very grateful for their neighbors' quick action. One of the residents said that she would ask her husband to get rid of some electric micromobility devices such as electric scooters, etc.

Lithium battery powered devices can be dangerous if left unattended while charging. Fortunately, this time everything turned out to be positive.