SCHENECTADY – City firefighters painstakingly secured 25 lithium-ion batteries from a Woodlawn business that sold electronic bikes and scooters after the place went up in flames earlier this month.Fire Chief Don Mareno said the State Street shop also contained lead-based batteries and petroleum products, which “contributed to the spread of the fire and rate at which it grew.” “Once they’re damaged, they’re very unstable,” Mareno said about lithium-ion batteries, a type of rechargeable battery. It is the most common type of battery used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles.
Fire crews also heard explosions early on, said the chief, adding that “it is not unreasonable to expect to have that happen in a fire where you have lithium ion batteries.”
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