Thought I'd share this with everyone. Most hams have lithium batteries around.
If you are helping with N7F operations, this is the updated list for this year.
=====================================================
National Fire Prevention Week 2025 Tips
1. Store lithium-ion batteries at room temperature.
2. Don’t put lithium-ion butteries in the trash. Take them to your battery recycling location.
3. Store lithium-ion batteries away from flammable materials.
4. Use only the battery manufacturer’s charger.
5. A damaged lithium-ion battery is a serious fire risk.
6. Don’t leave lithium-ion batteries on charge overnight. Remove them from the charger.
7. iPhone batteries are built-in high-quality batteries, designed tested and manufactured to
meet Apple’s standards and are certified for safety.
8. Don’t keep your cellphone in your back pocket. Sitting can bend the phone and damage
the battery leading to a possible fire.
9. A lithium-ion battery fire is very difficult to extinguish. A special blanket is required or
else smothering it with sand is required. Do not use water!
10. Do not charge lithium-ion batteries below 32 degrees F (0 degrees C) or 105 degrees F
(40 degrees C).
11. It is a fire risk to leave lithium-ion batteries in direct sunlight or in hot cars.
12. Lithium-ion batteries can catch fire when not in use if subjected to physical damage,
extreme heat, exposure to foreign materials or physical damage.
13. Overcharging a lithium-ion battery can increase the wear and tear and reduce battery
lifespan.
14. Ideally, disconnect the lithium-ion battery when fully charged or keep it between 20%
and 80% for the longest battery life.
15. Nearly all modern laptops use lithium-ion batteries.
16. While lithium-ion battery explosions are extremely rare, the risk can increase with
improper usage, physical damage or defective manufacturing.
17. A standard fire blanket may contain a lithium-ion battery fire, it won’t extinguish it.
18. Lithium-ion battery fires are chemical reactions that can continue to burn even without
external oxygen.
19. Fire blankets designed for lithium-ion battery fires limit the spread of the fire, and
potentially reduce its intensity, and provide a safer environment for evacuation.
20. While some ABC or B rated fire extinguishers may appear to be suppressing a lithium-ion
battery fire, they may not prevent reignition.
21. F-500 fire extinguishers provide the best protection for a fire with the lithium-ion
batteries that power devices used every day in the private sector.
22. Keep vape cells out of your pockets. Keys or loose change can wear through the thin
protective layer and short them out.
23. Stop using lithium-ion batteries if you notice an odor, color change, high heat, change in
shape, any leaking or odd noises.
24. The negative side of a lithium cylinder runs all the way to the lip at the top, where there
is an isolator between it and the positive center.
25. If a lithium-ion battery explodes in your home, call for the fire department immediately.
If you need to move the battery, use the utmost caution, using gloves and safety glasses.
Do not touch the battery with your bare hands.
26. Remove spare, loose lithium-ion batteries from checked luggage when traveling and
keep them with you on the plane.
