ESSEX Fire and Rescue Service is warning people to take care after being called to a house fire involving 20kg of lithium polymer batteries.

The service is warning people to make sure they take extra care when recharging lithium polymer batteries, and consider taking extra precautions.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were called to the fire, in Crowstone Road, Westcliff at 4.41am on Sunday.

Over 20kgs of batteries were on fire in the room, which was being used as a swimming pool.

The room, measuring 15m by 10m, was 4 percent smoke logged and two hose reel jets were used to extinguish the fire by 05.32am

A ventilation fan was also used to clear the room of smoke.

Lithium Polymer, or LiPo, batteries, which are capable of storing more power than traditional batteries and are now used many toys and gadgets, need to be treated with extra caution as they are more volatile and can explode into flames if mishandled.

When charging LiPo batteries always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and consider the following extra precautions:

  • Never charge the battery unattended
  • If you have a multifunctional charger, thoroughly read the instructions and make sure it is in LiPo mode
  • Place the charger & Battery on a non-flammable surface when charging & keep at least one metre away from flammable objects
  • If possible place the battery inside a special LiPo bag or in a fireproof box container when charging
  • Stop charging immediately if the battery gets warm or swells, disconnect and leave alone
  • Never charge or recover a battery pack that is damaged, has swollen cells or cells that are below 3.0V
  • Always use properly insulated connectors & leads
  • Make sure you have a working smoke alarm