Fire chief’s dog sparks fire after chewing on lithium-ion battery

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Newly released footage captures the moment the Chapel Hill Fire Chief’s dog accidentally started a fire after getting hold of a lithium-ion battery inside the family’s North Carolina home.

The Chapel Hill Fire Department released the video on Monday, showing Fire Chief David Sasser’s dog, Colton, as the cause of the incident.

What they’re saying:

“Colton is a good boy, but he counter-surfed while his humans were away and got hold of a device with a lithium-ion battery,” according to the fire department’s Facebook post.

The department explained on Facebook that the battery shown in the video was fully charged, unplugged, and not subject to any recalls — but it had not been stored safely.

“Colton was able to get the battery, break its protective features by chewing on it, and ended up causing a fire,” the department wrote.

Dig deeper:

Fortunately, Colton escaped unharmed apart from minor smoke exposure, and the only damage was to a rug — the house itself remained intact.

“We want to remind everyone of the importance of properly charging, storing, and using lithium-ion batteries,” the department added.