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(09-21-2026 Fox 17 Morning Mix)

Firefighter Michael McLeieer, President of E.S.C.A.P.E. Inc., returned to the Fox 17 Morning Mix to share strategies for utilizing lithium-ion batteries responsibly to reduce the risk of fire, including:

• Use the original charger and cable that came with your device. If the original components are not viable, many manufacturers have a resource list available online of what brands are safest to use.
• Charge all devices on a hard, flat surface such as a desk, table, or bare floor. Avoid charging on cushioned surfaces such as beds or carpet.
• Unplug devices once they are fully charged. Even 80% is safer than 100%! Stop using devices if they feel hot, swollen, emit odor, or hissing sounds while charging.
• Charge large items such as power tools, electric wheelchairs, and e-bikes outside when possible. Never charge these during rain!
• When traveling on an airplane, keep devices visible when they are charging. Do not store lithium-ion batteries in the overhead compartment.

(10-05-2026 9:10 am WKZO Radio Interview)

(10-08-2026 Fox 17 News)

Fire Prevention Week™ is October 4–10, 2026. “Charge Into Fire Safety™. Safe Charging Is a Superpower” focuses on the everyday charging habits that can help reduce the risk of lithium-ion battery fires and keep homes and communities safer.

Lithium-ion batteries are anything that can be re-charged, like your phone, laptop, or even E-bike. And since 2011 there have been an estimated 198,000 fires caused by the batteries, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Plug in. Power up. Stay safe.

“Anything that could be recharged could be a potential fire hazard,” ESCAPE Inc. President Michael McLeieer told FOX17.

That includes Lithium-ion batteries, which, under the wrong conditions, have the potential to be dangerous. Learning things like that is why every October, we mark Fire Prevention Week here at FOX17, and this year’s focus is safe charging of lithium-ion batteries.

Michael McLeieer with ESCAPE Inc. recommends being extra careful not to store anything with a rechargeable battery – like a laptop, phone or e-cigarette in your checked luggage.

‘The device could actually overheat,” said McLeieer. “The battery pack could overheat. It could cause a fire.”

If you can’t avoid checking a battery, airlines do have specific instructions on how you need to pack them. That includes making sure the battery doesn’t have contact with other batteries or metal.

But, no matter where you are going, paying attention to where you get your batteries from is just as important.

“Making sure that we’re buying them from a reputable source,” McLeieer added. “Making sure that they are nationally tested, laboratory seal of approval, which is like underwriters, laboratory, Ul, FM, global, they meet those stringent standards and testing requirements, so they’re not going to be at risk for our consumers.”

And your battery’s final destination is another point of focus. McLeieer recommends not throwing away any Lithium-Ion battery in the regular trash, but instead take it to an approved recycling center or ask your local fire department.

“When these are disposed of and they get to the recycle center, it can cause a very expensive fire,” McLeieer said. “It can be a life safety hazard, and we’ve had recycle facilities that have actually had significant damage to their equipment when they come in contact with a lithium-ion battery.”

And all this goes for batteries in the home as well, with the added plea to make sure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside and outside every sleeping area.