Charge into National Fire Prevention Week knowing how to use, dispose of lithium-ion batteries

The American Red Cross of South Carolina reported home fires claim seven lives every day in the United States.

While education, awareness and prevention are important year round, there is one week out of the year when fire response agencies across the country impress the importance of fire safety upon their community.

Oct. 5-11 is National Fire Prevention Week.

This year's theme, "Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home," aims to educate the public on the safe use and disposal of lithium-ion batteries before danger and damage can occur.

"Home fires can occur any time, any place," said Susan Everitt, regional CEO for the Red Cross of South Carolina. "The sooner an alarm alerts you to a fire, the sooner you can get out. This is critical because fire experts say you may have less than two minutes to escape a burning home before it's too late."

According to the National Fire Protection Association, most, if not all, of the electronics in our homes, smartphones, tablets, power and lawn tools, laptops, e-cigarettes, headphones and toys, to name just a few, are powered by lithium-ion batteries.

Conceptualized in the late 1970s and commercially launched in 1991, lithium-ion batteries are a type of rechargeable battery that are smaller and have high energy density, which refers to the system's ability to store a large amount of energy in a small volume. The battery functions by moving lithium ions between two electrodes, the anode and the cathode. This design allows lithium-ion batteries to be rechargeable, as the flow of ions can be reversed.

If not used correctly or damaged, lithium-ion batteries can overheat or explode.

This can be challenging for firefighters for several reasons, according to the U.S. Fire Administration, as there is risk of chemical exposure, intensive cooling requirements, complex vehicle construction if conducting effective rescue and vehicle extrication, and the risk of reigniting the fire.

While the brave men and women in the turnout gear continue to train and educate themselves on responding to complex fires, National Fire Prevention Week is meant to educate the public on prevention methods that can keep these complex calls at bay.

Lt. Selena Smith with Sumter Fire Department shared tips concerning lithium-ion batteries - how to use and to dispose of them properly.

- Charge your device on a hard surface, not under a pillow, on a bed or on a couch. This could cause a fire.

- Don't overcharge your device. Unplug it or remove the battery fully when it's charged.

- Recycling your device or battery at a safe battery recycling location is the best way to dispose of them.