Three people went to hospital after a Warrington flat fire that investigators say was accidental and involved a lithium-ion battery. The signs to look for.
Three people were taken to hospital after a fire in a flat in Warrington that investigators believe was started by a lithium-ion battery.
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service’s incident report was published just after midnight on Sunday 27 September. It says seven people were assessed at the scene by North West Ambulance Service. Three of them were taken to hospital for further treatment.
A fire investigation concluded the fire was accidental. The service said it “is believed to have involved a lithium-ion battery”.
The service has not said which street or which part of Warrington the building is in, what time the fire started, or what the battery was powering. It has given no update on the condition of the three people taken to hospital.
What firefighters did
The fire was in one flat in a residential building. According to the service’s report, crews:
- wore breathing apparatus and used hose reels fed by the building’s dry riser
- put the fire out and kept it to the flat where it started
- accounted for residents and searched the neighbouring flats and upper floors
- used a smoke curtain to protect the stairwell so people could leave safely
- cleared smoke from the communal areas with high-pressure fans
- removed the damaged battery from the building and checked for any remaining risk
A second flat fire in a week
It is the second serious flat fire in the borough in less than a week. On Tuesday a 58-year-old man was rescued from a flat on Teal Grove in Birchwood and later died, as we reported on Friday. The cause of that fire is still under investigation. Nothing published so far links the two.
What it means for you
Lithium-ion batteries are in phones, laptops, vapes, power tools, vacuum cleaners, e-bikes and e-scooters. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service’s battery safety advice says they are generally safe when used correctly. If they are damaged or misused they can fail suddenly and cause intense, fast-moving fires that give off toxic fumes and can reignite.
When charging, the service advises you to:
- use the correct charger for the device
- charge on a hard, flat surface
- not charge while you are asleep or out of the house
- unplug the charger once charging is finished
- let the battery cool after use before recharging it
- never charge a damaged battery
- never charge anything near an exit or on an escape route
- make sure a working smoke alarm is fitted nearby
It also warns against dropping, crushing or puncturing batteries, getting them wet, and leaving them in extreme heat or cold, such as a hot car. A standard bike should only be converted to an electric one by a professional.
If a battery is failing, unplug it, stop using it and contact the manufacturer. Do not try to open or fix it. If it catches fire, get out, stay out and call 999.
If you live in a flat
The service’s advice for flats and apartments says flat doors, walls and floors are built to stop fire and smoke spreading, but only if doors are kept shut rather than propped open. It says:
- keep stairways and corridors clear of furniture and anything that burns
- do not use the lifts in a fire
- if the fire is in your flat, get everyone out, shut the front door behind you and call 999
- ask your landlord, housing provider or managing agent for your building’s evacuation plan
Old batteries
Never put batteries in a black, blue or green bin. Warrington Borough Council asks residents to take them to a Community Recycling Centre, a supermarket recycling point or a LiveWire library. Our bin collection days page has the rest of what goes where.
A free home check
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service offers a home fire safety check. It asks people to read its Safe and Well booklet first, then fill in the online form if they still want a visit.
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