A Sibley home has been left uninhabitable after a fire on Tuesday night, January 20th, with a charging laptop battery believed to be the cause.
According to Sibley Fire Chief Ken Huls, crews were called around 8:30 p.m. to a report of a house fire at 509 4th Street in Sibley.
Huls says when firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke and flames coming from a window, with much of the southern portion of the house already on fire.
The occupant told firefighters he had heard a popping sound and went upstairs to find heavy black smoke and flames, then escaped and ran to a neighbor’s house to call 911.
Huls says firefighters were able to knock the fire down fairly quickly, but the overhaul took the most time, as the fire had extended into the attic and was difficult to access.
A neighboring home at 513 4th Street also sustained smoke damage.
No injuries were reported.
The Sibley Fire Department was assisted by the Little Rock Fire Department, Osceola County Ambulance, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and Osceola County Emergency Management. Emergency management also helped the homeowner contact the Red Cross and find temporary housing after most of his belongings were lost in the fire.
Huls says the cause of the fire appeared to be a charging lithium-ion battery on a laptop.
He says charging batteries has become a fairly common cause of house fires in northwest Iowa.
Chief Huls estimates damage to the home at approximately $250,000, and says firefighters were on the scene for about three hours.
He reminds residents to unplug devices once they are fully charged, use only name-brand chargers designed for their devices, and avoid charging batteries unattended or near combustible materials.
The National Fire Protection Association also warns people to stop using batteries if they notice changes in odor, color, shape, temperature, unusual noise, or leaking.
This story is courtesy of fellow Community First Broadcasting station KIWA Radio
