Colton chews on the device, then realizes his mistake.
(YouTube)
Chapel Hill, N.C. — A local firefighter’s dog caused a small fire at home after chewing on a lithium-ion battery, but luckily no major damage occurred. The mischievous pup, Colton, a 5-year-old rescue, has now officially “lost his battery privileges.”
Video captured Colton dragging a rechargeable backup battery from a counter and biting into it. He punctured the battery before realizing his mistake and quickly scampering away moments before it ignited, WRAL reports. “He bit into it, and you can see it—he’s surprised by it, and then he’s like, ‘Uh oh, what did I do?’” said firefighter David Sasser.
Sasser said Colton had pulled several items off a counter while the family was visiting relatives. He returned home quickly after receiving an alert from his home security system and found the only damage was to a rug that caught fire. “Thankfully, it pretty much fizzled out because of the rug and because we were home so quickly,” he said.
Durham Fire Chief Robert Zoltos reminded the public that while batteries are generally safe, they can ignite if damaged, improperly stored, or disposed of incorrectly. “When you’re done charging them, you have to really pay attention and unplug them,” he told WRAL. “Store them where they can’t be broken, cracked, or chewed on by a dog. And when you’re finished with them, dispose of them properly.”
