Chilliwack – Early Tuesday morning (May 25,@4:15AM) the Chilliwack Fire Department was dispatched to a reported structure fire, located in the 7000 block of Arnold Road.
The occupant of the home had put his Recreational Vehicle battery on a charger to charge overnight. In the early morning, the occupant hears a noise coming from the attached garage and went in to investigate. The tenant witnessed grey smoke in the garage, called 911 and alerted other tenant’s in the home to evacuate.
Firefighter’s responded from Halls 1, 4, 6 and on arrival, the initial interior attack crew entered the garage and reported seeing heavy grey smoke within the garage and a small fire on a workbench where the battery charger was kept. Firefighter’s quickly extinguished the fire and proceeded with overhaul and salvage operations. The garage sustained smoke damage and minor fire damage to the immediate area around the workbench.
No one was hurt.
The lithium battery charger was charging a lithium RV battery and was likely the cause of the fire.
Chilliwack Fire Department recommends when charging a Recreational Vehicle battery, always follow the manufacturer safety instructions that come with the device
