Gerrard Kaonga
A dog has the reputation of man’s best friend, but my best friend would be in a lot of trouble if they managed to set my home alight in a matter of seconds.
Now, as if there wasn’t enough stuff to worry about, you now have to consider the scary possibility that your pet could start a massive fire while you're out.
Pets are a wonderful addition to your family, providing laughs, great memories and seemingly, the odd fire.
On July 31, the Tulsa Fire Department issued a warning to pet owners and showed a home security video of a person’s room going up in flames after their dog took a chunky bite out of a portable battery. Take a look:
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Speaking to pet owners, public information officer of the fire department Andy Little said: “I want to bring to your attention a critical issue that has been affecting fire departments across the US.
“Fires caused by lithium ion batteries. Lithium ion batteries are known for storing a significant amount of energy in a compact space.
“However when this energy is released uncontrollably, it can generate heat, flammable and toxic gasses and can even lead to explosions.”
He warned that these can be caused by a variety of things, including damage to the battery, overcharging or exposure to heat.
He then showed the video of a dog chewing on the battery before dropping it as it began to spout out liquid and light the dog cushion on fire.
The dog and the other dogs in the room then scatter before a fire sparks up at burns quickly, soon engulfing the entire room.
Little warned owners to take precautions to prevent these fires from erupting.
Little continued: "Many individuals keep these batteries within their homes for convenience, unaware of the potential dangers they pose.
"It is crucial that you adhere to manufacturer guidelines when using lithium-ion batteries, only using approved chargers and storing them out of reach of children and pets.
Ultimately, the room was destroyed and the fire department had to be called to put it out.
But thankfully, especially to all the dog owners reading, all of the dogs were able to safely exit the home without any injuries.
However, Little stated this situation could have had a very different ending if the dogs weren’t able to exit through their doggy door or if a family was sleeping upstairs unaware of the fire.