For more than two days, a vital shipping passageway in the Port of L.A. was shut down, and the cause was surprising to some. A big rig overturned, sparking a fierce lithium-ion battery blaze that spewed toxic gases, snarled port traffic and resulted in what one official said was massive economic losses from delayed shipments.
The incident focused new attention, and fears, on the fuel cells helping drive the state’s clean energy transition. But how dangerous are these batteries really? And should you be scared of your e-bike, vape pen or electric car?
Here is what you need to know.
These batteries are generally safe with proper care and storage, said Robert Rezende, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department battalion chief and the region’s first lithium-ion battery safety coordinator. But there is serious reason to worry about a crash involving a truck transporting these batteries or a battery storage facility catching fire — two types of incidents that can generate massive blazes, emitting toxic gases for several days, he said.
For the rest of this article: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-10-28/lithium-ion-battery-fires-rampant-safety-fears