Almost burned the house down today...BE AWARE!

[roundball]

Almost burned the house down today changing 9 volt batteries in smoke detectors & security system entry sensors.

I'd finished changing all the batteries throughout the house except two front windows in what was originally designed as a formal living room, that I use as a closed off lockable / storage / office sort of a room, with shelving units, a couple utility tables for hobbies, a printer, shredder, file cabinet, etc.

One utility table sits across the two front windows, little metal trash can underneath, and I was in there laying things out to change those batteries when my Wife called saying she'd made a pot of coffee, to come join her out on the deck around at the back side of the house.

Stopped what I was doing, went around back and had a cup with her in the cool October air, got her a refill, then walked back around to the front room to finish those last two windows.  Standing at the edge of the utility table, I reached over it, removed the entry sensor from a window, shook out the old 9 volt battery and tossed in under the utility table into the little metal trash can in front of my legs like I've done every year for 25 years.

Installed the new battery in the entry sensor and was leaning across the table to mount it back on the window when I noticed heat on my legs...stepped back from the table and there were flames shooting up several inches out of that metal trash can, licking up on the bottom of that cheap (dry) particle board utility table.

Pulled it out from under the table quickly, but the can was already too hot to handle with my bare hands so I slid it across the floor with my foot through the door into the hall, opened the front door and hot as it was managed to pick and drop it over the threshold onto the porch where I slid it towards the steps away form anything flammable.

The round metal can only had 4-5 small pieces of paper down at the bottom of it...AND...a couple of 2" square cotton cleaning patches I'd tossed in there a few days ago after soaking them with WD40 to wipe the bore of a rifle.
Either the terminals of the 9 volt battery landed directly on a WD40 patch which still had some residual dampness, started drawing current through the patch, and generated enough heat to catch on fire.
Or...the terminals were lying against being shorted by the metal side of the can with a WD40 patch right up under them, then same scenario.

1)I'm shocked at how fast that fire started, from innocently tossing a small 9 volt battery into a trash can;
2)I'm shocked at the volume of flames that were well up above the top of the foot tall trash can in just 15-20 seconds.
3)We are lucky as Hexx that I threw that battery in there while I was still in the room...not as I was leaving the room !!
If the last thing I'd done was toss that battery into the trash can before going around to the back of the house, outside on the deck, the whole house would have been on fire before we would ever have known it.

Two lessons I've definitely learned from this near disaster:
WD40 patches go OUTSIDE THE HOUSE in the trash cart as soon as I'm done using them.
All battery discards go OUTSIDE THE HOUSE in the trash cart in a separate plastic container.

[DEADDAWG]

Really glad you caught it in time and you're all OK. You ain't the first one that something like this has happened to and sure won't be the last. When I was a young troop living in base housing I had a similar experience. I was refinishing and old table in the basement and changed the battery in my transistor radio, tossed it in the trash can right on top of some discarded steel wool along with some dirty rags. Went up real quick. Smoke detectors went off, base fire department responded (I already had it out). I got real lucky like you did. The base fire marshall told me the best way to dispose of used batteries is to throw them in a bucket of water over night to let them fully discharge. I don't know why this battery hazard isn't publicized more.

[William]

Really glad you caught it in time and you're all OK. You ain't the first one that something like this has happened to and sure won't be the last. When I was a young troop living in base housing I had a similar experience. I was refinishing and old table in the basement and changed the battery in my transistor radio, tossed it in the trash can right on top of some discarded steel wool along with some dirty rags. Went up real quick. Smoke detectors went off, base fire department responded (I already had it out). I got real lucky like you did. The base fire marshall told me the best way to dispose of used batteries is to throw them in a bucket of water over night to let them fully discharge. I don't know why this battery hazard isn't publicized more.

I guess you had never seen those survival shows that have people stashing 9 volt batteries and steel wool in their bug-out bags to use as fire starters?  The steel wool glows red hot and burns almost immediately as they demonstrate the various "what if" scenarios.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eT-buIKUpY
http://www.campfiredude.com/fire-battery.shtml

[DEADDAWG]

William, Back when this happened to me I was in northern Mi. We had one TV channel, cable wasn't available up there yet.

[redhawk]

Glad everything came out roundball ok!  Had one them little suckers to about burn a hole iin my pocket one time at school.  I had exchanged one out and put the old one in my pocket with some change.  It shorted against the silver coins and started getting my leg hot.  I reckon if I had left it long enough it would have set my pants on fire.  I bet it shorted against the metal trash can and those wd40 patches were just the fuel it needed to blaze up.  Anyway you got to check your smoke detectors

[roundball]

VERY lucky today for sure...here's some additional Info:

Regular alkaline batteries are considered non-hazadardous watse and are just supposed to be discarded in regular trash.

Official Battery Disposal Guide:  http://www.atbatt.com/blog/41.asp

I'm finding people coming out of the woodwork telling similar tales...amazed at age 65 I never heard any particular precautions about 9 volt batteries...but I'll never toss one away inside the house again, that's for sure

[Micanopy]

Man! Glad you got it out fast as you did and no damage to you or your home.

[Watauga]

Scouts have been starting fires with 9v Battery's for years!
Touch a 9v to a small bit of steel wool and instant fire!
It probably landed on the contacts next to the oily patch and presto!
(I may have to check out WD40 for a fire starter now)  

I guess Murphy's law caught up with you!
And Divine Providence Saved you!

[roundball]

It dawned on me last night why that 9 volt battery started such a raging fire...last week I'd been sitting at that utility table using a pad of steel wool to clean up the 5" blade on a hunting knife getting ready for the season...got done and tossed the steel wool pad in the trash can....yesterday, the 9 volt battery must have landed right on it.....instant hot flare up fire...and the few WD40 patches and few pieces of paper made for a big bonfire !!

[William]

Yep, that's what did it.  Since you are beating the odds, go out and buy a lottery ticket.

[Red Badger]

Glad Everyone is OK,

This could have been a lot worse!

[NAULTRICK1]

  Yup glad every is ok, never thought those little batteries were so dangerous, think I'll go clean out all my junk drawers now. 

[DandJofAZ]

Guess I shoulnt have steel wool, batteries, and gun oil all out on my desk behind me as i sit here at this keyboard??




Just checked, batteries are all in box at least 10" away from steel wool and oil.  Maybe still to close??
Moving desk downstairs this week, may just readjust where some things are kept...
Doug