A smoky apartment fire sparked by an e-scooter could have been much worse if not for a sprinkler system.
The fire broke out around 1:30 p.m. on the first floor of The Jordan, a four-story apartment building at 801 N. Wakefield Street, in the Bluemont neighborhood near Ballston. Arriving firefighters reported encountering smoke, an electrical fire, and residents evacuating the building.
The fire was contained by a sprinkler system installed in the circa-2011 building, but otherwise might have quickly spread due to its intensity. Firefighters extinguished the remaining fire upon arrival, said an Arlington County Fire Department spokesperson.
“The Fire Marshal’s Office is currently investigating the origin and cause of the fire,” said Capt. Jamie Jill. “Preliminary findings indicate that the fire appears to have been caused by lithium ion batteries from an e-scooter.”
Lithium batteries from e-bikes and e-scooters are a well-known fire risk, causing fast-spreading fires when faulty batteries overheat and suddenly burst into flames.
“Only purchase and use devices, batteries, and charging equipment that are listed by a nationally recognized testing lab and labeled accordingly,” said Jill, though unscrupulous sellers will sometimes falsely claim safety certification.
“Always follow the instructions from the manufacturer,” Jill added, offering more safety tips. “Only use the battery and the charger that were designed for, and came with, the device. Do not keep charging the device or device battery after it is fully charged. Only charge one device or device battery at a time to prevent overloading the circuit.”
