Crews were called to a business in the 6300 block of Bowness Road N.W. at 2:40 p.m. for 911 calls reporting the explosion.The owner explained he had left the building to take out the garbage and said when he returned, the battery for an E-scooter being charged suddenly exploded.
Though no one was injured, the fire department says staff at several neighbouring businesses had to temporarily leave their buildings due to the smoke. "This was a close call and thanks to the quick actions of the business owner, greater damage was prevented."The Calgary Fire Department says lithium-ion batteries are a "growing fire concern" due to their increasingly wide-spread use.
As such, the fire department is urging people to handle the batteries carefully, warning citizens not to throw them, modify them or tamper with them, and not to use batteries that:Have an odour, change in colour or have too much heat.