New York City’s chief fire marshall urged House lawmakers to pass legislation mandating safety standards for lithium-ion batteries.
“To grasp the urgency of this problem, it’s important to understand that fires caused by lithium-ion batteries are more intense and more dangerous than traditional, smoldering fires,” Chief Fire Marshall Daniel Flynn of the New York City Fire Department testified during Thursday’s hearing before the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology.
Mr. Flynn said lithium-ion battery fires “instantly” create conditions that make it more difficult for people to escape to safety.
“They undergo a series of explosions, releasing highly toxic gasses and projecting flaming cells that can travel great distances, increasing the likelihood that the fire will spread,” he said. “These fires instantly create severely dangerous conditions, rendering escape for anyone nearby significantly challenging. This is especially true if a fire occurs at night when an occupant is sleeping.”...
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