Surrey Fire Services shares safety tips on handling battery-powered devices this holiday season

Surrey Fire Services is encouraging community members to prevent the risk of fire by learning about how to safely handle electronic devices that contain lithium-ion batteries. During the holiday buying and gift-giving season, items such as smart phones, laptops, e-scooters and e-bikes, which have grown in popularity in recent years, all utilize lithium-ion batteries.

“With the increase of gifting electronic devices, it is important that the public is aware of some risks and key safety precautions,” said Surrey Fire Service Chief Larry Thomas. “By following a few simple safety measures, we can significantly reduce the risk of fire and make this a safer holiday season for everyone.”

Though battery-powered devices can be convenient, they can pose significant fire risks if not properly used. Risk of fire when handling these items can be minimized through proper handling, charging, and storage of these devices, like unplugging devices once they are charged, making sure charging is done on hard surfaces away from liquids or heat, and only using the original chargers and cables that came with the device.

The City will be sharing some important safety tips this week through its social channels. More safety tips can be found on the National Fire Prevention Association website.