OCALA, Fla. – A lithium-ion battery attached to a scooter caught fire Wednesday morning in an empty Ocala apartment, according to fire rescue.
Firefighters responded at 4:24 a.m. to the Laurel Park Apartments after a resident reported smelling smoke from a neighboring unit.
According to Ocala Fire Rescue, crews saw smoke coming from a window of a second-story unit. Firefighters searched the apartment and confirmed no one was inside.
As firefighters worked to put out the fire, police evacuated adjacent units. Firefighters cleared one unit that shared a wall with the apartment that was on fire and found three children asleep inside.
Fire rescue said the fire was put out quickly “with a water can.”
It was determined that the fire started from a lithium-ion battery attached to a scooter.
“An inspection by the fire marshal revealed that the battery ignited, leading to the fire spreading to nearby items, including other scooters and a sofa. The quick actions of attentive neighbors greatly contributed to the successful outcome of the incident,” fire rescue said.
No injuries were reported.
A News 6 investigation resulted in a new law that allows the State Fire Marshal to establish safety rules for storing and charging lithium-ion batteries. Click here to see the full timeline.