Kelly Voyer did what so
flying. She grabbed
what she needed and tossed
the rest into a plastic bag in
a basket and went upstairs.
Fifteen minutes later, she
heard what she says sounded
like fireworks. By the time
she got downstairs, her
house was on fire.
“This was a serious fire,”
said Voyer on Tuesday
morning, a couple hours
after the fire. “There was a
column of fire eight feet tall
by three feet wide.”
She called her husband
who raced back from the
ferry line to Eaglecliff Road.
Within a few short minutes
he had used up the entire
contents of a fire extinguisher
on the flames. The
firefighters arrived within
minutes of the explosions,
but damage was done.
“The house was filled with
smoke that was so thick and
black you couldn’t see into
the house through the windows,”
says the homeowner.
Voyer was shocked when
the fire was out “to find the
batteries that had been in the
basket had exploded out and
were now 15 feet away, on
the floor.”
Voyer says that the interior
of her home is covered
in soot, and there is an acrid
smell clinging to everything.
“The worst part is that
I lost a painting in the fire
that my daughter, who is an
artist, painted.”
Voyer adds that she lost so
little, but it makes her think
of Fort McMurray.
“I can’t imagine what it’s
like for the people there, the
people who lost everything.”
The Voyers and the Bowen
Island Fire Department were
able to act quickly to stop
this fire because there was
someone at home at the time
of the explosions – otherwise
they might not have been so
lucky.
Though the cause of the
fire had yet to be confirmed
at press time, Voyer is positive
that the batteries caused
the fire.
“I want people to know
about how dangerous it is to
store batteries together, or
recycle them in a pile.”
Voyer points out that there
are numerous regulation
regarding transport of button
batteries.
One company that recycles
batteries states: “Special
consideration should be
taken to ensure all primary
lithium “button” cell batteries
have their positive terminals
taped prior to recycling.
We recommend taping both
the positive and negative
terminals by simply placing
a single piece of tape around
the top and bottom of the
button cell covering both
terminal ends.
Aside from the various
button cell sizes, there are
the more common AAA,
AA, C, D and 9-volt varieties.
All of these batteries
should have their positive
terminals taped before recycling.
Transport Canada states
that lithium batteries are
dangerous goods, much like
gasoline, propane, and sulphuric
acid.
“While most lithium batteries
are safe, some have
overheated and caught fire.
Once ignited, they can cause
any nearby batteries to overheat
and catch fire. These
fires are difficult to put out
and produce toxic and irritating
fumes.”
Lithium batteries are in
computers, watches, musical
birthday cards, and in the
case in the Voyer home, in a
string of twinkle lights.
Not all batteries are as volatile
as button batteries, but
batteries have been known to
explode and cause fires even
when installed in computers
and cameras and not piled
on top of each other in a
drawer or basket.
“I just want people to
know about storing batteries
so it doesn’t happen to anyone
else,” says Voyer.
One safety suggestion for
storing batteries includes
storing the more concerning
types of batteries in containers
that aren’t metal, which
conducts heat and electricity.
Another would be to get a
fire extinguisher and smoke
alarm and make certain they
are both in good working
order.
