Fire danger caused by standard household batteries is very real.
The fire danger that can be caused by common household batteries is probably something that most of us don’t even think about. Many households have a “junk drawer somewhere in the house. If you are storing 9-volt batteries in your “junk” drawer, this could be a recipe for disaster. With the terminals so close together on a 9-volt battery, it only takes a small piece of metal, like a paperclip or keys to make a connection between the positive and negative terminals. When the connection is made, this causes a short circuit and can create enough heat – the temperature can quickly rise to over 150 degrees – to start a fire. With other household items that could be in a drawer, a fire could quickly spread out of control.
A fire from a 9-volt battery may be the most likely scenario because the terminals are on the top. However, the same fire hazard exists with other types of batteries (AA, AAA, etc.), so be careful with all types of batteries. The generation of heat when batteries come in contact with other batteries or pieces of metal can be very dangerous, please be careful when storing, recycling and disposing of used batteries. Pay attention to and heed all labels and warnings on all batteries.
For more information, please see this link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoAO1S5w7KM) to a newscast on the hazards of battery storage of download this pamphlet on battery safety.
