GoKawiilAdrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
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ZDNET's key takeaways
Lithium-ion batteries are now one of the leading causes of fires.
Damaged, misused, and poor-quality batteries are the most common culprits.
Knowing what to do can make all the difference in a fire.
Nowadays, we're rarely far from a device that contains a rechargeable battery. Phones, tablets, laptops, not to mention e-bikes and portable power stations, are everywhere. You have batteries in the car, wear them in devices on your fingers, and sleep with them in technology by your bed. Most of the time, the batteries do what they're supposed to do -- and do it safely. That's why they've become the most popular way to power our portable stuff.
Also: I cracked open a '1,000W' portable charger after it failed me in minutes - the cause was clear (and gooey)
But the sheer volume of batteries in circulation, along with the proliferation of cheaper, poorer-quality devices, means that lithium-ion battery fires are on the rise.
Just how big is the problem?
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