A video released by Oklahoma officials captures the dramatic moment a house caught fire after a dog began chewing on a lithium-ion battery.
The footage, shared by the Tulsa Fire Department, documents a house fire that occurred in May. It shows two dogs and a cat lounging in the home’s living room. Moments later, one of the dogs starts gnawing on a lithium-ion battery pack used for charging cellphones. The battery begins to spark before erupting into flames, as seen in the video.
Officials released the video to caution the public about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries, urging them to keep such items out of reach of children and pets.
“Fire departments across the nation are encountering fires caused by these batteries. We aim to educate the public on the proper use, storage, and disposal of these potentially hazardous batteries,” the department stated.
Fortunately, all pets managed to escape safely through a dog door, and the family also evacuated without injury.
