After Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit Florida, nearly 100 lithium battery fires were reported across the state. Officials warn the danger isn't just EVs; it's anything with a battery left in floodwater.

Fire officials have highlighted the ongoing fire risks associated with lithium batteries in the aftermath of storms and flooding. While electric vehicles have been a focus, officials warn that smaller devices such as hoverboards, e-bikes, scooters, and yard tools also pose significant dangers, with fires sometimes occurring days or weeks after floodwaters recede.

Last hurricane season saw numerous lithium battery fires, with most incidents involving devices other than electric vehicles. Officials emphasize that salt water exposure increases the risk of battery failure and fire, urging residents to store lithium battery-powered items at least 50 feet from structures and keep their charge at 30 percent or less if a storm is expected.

After the surge: Hidden fire risks in your garage

FIRE OFFICIALS SAY STORM-RELATED FIRES CAN GO FAR BEYOND ELECTRIC VEHICLES. BATTERIES AND EVERYTHING FROM HOVERBOARDS TO HEDGE TRIMMERS CAN CATCH FIRE DAYS OR WEEKS AFTER FLOOD WATERS HAVE RECEDED. AND FIRE OFFICIALS ARE WARNING WITH THE PEAK OF HURRICANE SEASON HERE, IF IT HAS A LITHIUM BATTERY, GET IT OUT OF YOUR HOUSE OR GARAGE. LAST HURRICANE SEASON, THERE WERE ROUGHLY 85 LITHIUM BATTERY FIRES STATEWIDE, 17 OF THEM INVOLVING ELECTRIC VEHICLES. BUT THE REST WERE TIED TO SCOOTERS, E-BIKES AND EVEN YARD TOOLS. FIRE INVESTIGATORS SAY MANY CONSUMERS ARE SIMPLY NOT AWARE OF THE RISKS THESE SMALLER DEVICES CAN HAVE. All of those lithium batteries are just as dangerous as that large EV. You know, small fires turn into big fires. What we did see in the wake of the storms and flooding last year was a much higher rate of lithium battery failure due to submersion after the storm passed, where we see these batteries in every garage, almost every household, back porches, you know, Florida rooms. Salt water is significantly worse for lithium ion batteries than fresh water because it's dissolved salts act as an electrical conductor, readily causing short circuits, corrosion and higher risk of thermal runaway, which is a chain reaction that can cause the battery to explode or burn for hours after it's been flooded. Now, if a storm threatens your area, fire officials say to keep those items at least 50 feet away from any structure and have that charge at 30 percent or less in the event it catches fire in Orange County, Florida. I'm Leslie Hudson reporting for AccuWeather.

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Breakdown