Rescue Dog’s Battery Mishap Turns Into a Viral Fire Safety Lesson
A rescue dog’s misadventure has become a safety warning for pet parents. Colton, the dog, was home alone when he spotted a mobile phone power pack on the kitchen counter and decided to grab it. He carried it to the living room rug and began chewing — accidentally biting into the lithium-ion battery and sparking a fire.
David Sasser, Colton’s dad (and a firefighter with the Chapel Hill Fire Department) was alerted by the home’s fire monitoring service. The entire incident was captured on camera. Fortunately, the fire fizzled out quickly on the rug, and the family returned home before it could spread.
Sasser shared the video with the public as a safety reminder. He warns that lithium-ion batteries cause thousands of fires every day.
“Colton is a good boy, but he counter-surfed while his humans (a CHFD family) were away and got hold of a device with a lithium ion battery,” wrote Chapel Hill Fire Department on Facebook. “The battery in the video was charged and unplugged when finished. It wasn’t under any recalls, but it wasn’t stored safely. Colton was able to get the battery, break its protective features by chewing on it, and ended up causing a fire. Thankfully, he wasn’t injured, and other than some smoke damage and a ruined rug, the house is fine.”
Sasser and the fire department recommend storing batteries somewhere safe, like in a drawer, where they can’t be broken or chewed on. They also advise against leaving phones or devices unattended while charging.
“What happened to Colton serves as a reminder of how important it is to safely store and discard lithium ion batteries,” Chapel Hill Fire Department wrote, adding, “They store a lot of energy in a small place, from power tools and headphones to laptops and smart watches. If overcharged or damaged, these batteries can overheat, start a fire, or explode.”
Colton’s accident quickly went viral, prompting the Chapel Hill Fire Department to do a lighthearted “interview” with the mischievous pup to get his take on all the attention and on lithium-ion batteries. Colton seemed to think the tiny microphone was just another chew toy, but he was very well behaved throughout.