A power bank has caused devastating damage to an Australian couple’s car and they want to warn others of the dangers.
Chris Thorpe explained she left the power bank — a device used to charge electrical appliances — in her car exposed to direct sunlight in the hot Australian sun.
She had meant to retrieve it but it slipped her mind, leaving the charger to gradually heat up and eventually catch alight.
The heat generated completely melted the centre console and the nearby seat cushioning and left behind a crater in the seat where the power bank had been.
She said the device was not plugged in or operating but was “just sitting there” in the sunlight.
“Car temp obviously rose, the sun hitting the power pack . . . boom,” she said.
“This is what confronted us. Destroyed front seat, seatbelt, seat covers, console and black soot everywhere.
“It looks bad but it was smouldering, not a fire.”
Ms Thorpe said she and her husband were able to put it out before it became out of control.
Despite the damage, the vehicle remains roadworthy — but the pair issued a ‘take notice’ to others.
“Positives: we are OK, the van is OK, the car is still drivable, I get to be a backseat driver and we have insurance,” Thorpe said.
“Just a ‘blip’ in our adventures.”
Experts passed warning about the potential risks of lithium-ion batteries — used in power banks as the one Ms Thorpe had.
“When lithium-ion batteries fail they can undergo thermal runaway,” Fire and Rescue NSW says.
“This involves violent bursting of one or multiple battery cells, hissing and release of toxic, flammable and explosive gases, and an intense, self-sustaining fire that can be difficult to extinguish.
Early warning signs that your device might ignite include pungent odours, discolouration or blistering of the casing, heating up, hissing sounds, smoke and fumes.
It comes as battery fires are increasing in commonality, e-scooters left to charge have randomly and spontaneously caught fire.
In August last year, a $500,000 damage bill was dealt to a house in Scarborough after an e-scooter battery had caught fire.
Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson said at the time that the number of house fires in WA has decreased over the past four years, from 690 to about 606, but the prevalence of house fires caused by lithium batteries had almost doubled (27 to 50).
About 15 of those fires were related to e-scooters.
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