Calgary firefighters responded to three fires linked to lithium-ion batteries in less than 24 hours, including two involving electric scooters charging inside homes.The first fire was reported at about 9:25 a.m. Thursday in the 0-100 block of Covercreek Mews N.E.Firefighters arrived at a two-storey home and noticed smoke staining around the door of its attached garage. The residents had already made it outside.Crews entered the garage through an interior door and encountered thick, dark smoke but no visible flames. Firefighters ventilated the property and determined there was no fire damage inside the main living area.One resident was assessed for smoke inhalation by Alberta emergency health services. No other injuries were reported.A Calgary Fire Department investigator removed three electric scooters from the garage and determined the fire originated in one of them while all three scooters were being charged.Firefighters were called to a second incident at about 3:35 a.m. Friday at a large commercial warehouse in the 6600 block of 106 Ave. S.E.Employees had evacuated by the time crews arrived and the building's alarm system had activated.Firefighters located a blaze inside an exterior compactor and extinguished it.Employees told investigators they noticed a glow coming from boxes immediately before the fire and said lithium-ion batteries had previously been inadvertently left in boxes going through the compactor, resulting in fires.A fire investigator determined a lithium-ion battery was the most likely cause..Just 15 minutes later, at approximately 3:50 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to another house fire in the 0-100 block of Saddlemont Close N.E.Crews arrived at the two-storey residence to find smoke pouring from a side basement door. Everyone inside had already escaped and no injuries were reported.Firefighters entered the basement in low visibility and quickly knocked down the blaze.Crews also rescued a cat from another part of the home and reunited it with its owners.The fire was contained to the basement suite.Investigators determined that blaze also originated from an electric scooter that had been plugged in to charge.The Calgary Fire Department is warning residents not to leave lithium-ion batteries unattended while charging and to unplug devices once their batteries reach 100%.Officials also recommend against charging batteries that show signs of swelling, overheating, physical damage or deterioration.Residents are advised to follow manufacturers' charging instructions, use compatible charging equipment and ensure lithium-ion batteries are properly disposed of rather than placing them in blue, black or green carts.
