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Cortland firefighters respond to 2 calls about batteries

Cortland firefighters respond to 2 calls about batteries

The Cortland Fire Dept. was dispatched to 2 lithium-ion battery fires over the weekend. (Provided) Photo: Saga Communications/Cortland Fire Dept.


CORTLAND, NY (607NewsNow) — Over a period of two days, there were two battery-related fires in Cortland.

Firefighters responded Friday night to a bedroom fire because of a portable speaker.

“The occupant of the affected room reported that a portable speaker had suddenly exploded and caught fire. A housemate quickly retrieved a fire extinguisher and used it to knock down the flames prior to the arrival of firefighters,” the Cortland Fire Department said.

Over 50 students living in the building were evacuated. The next day, Cortland firefighters were called to another building for an E-bike that was on fire.

“Firefighters determined that the battery had been charging inside an apartment when the occupant heard a loud popping sound followed by hissing from the battery pack. Recognizing that something was wrong, the occupant disconnected the battery from the charger and moved it outside. The occupant reported that the battery burst into flames almost immediately afterward,” authorities said.

In both cases, officials say lithium-ion batteries were involved. There were no reported injuries in either incident.

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