Experts advise caution on lithium-ion batteries after hazmat incident at Mitchell High School

Colorado Springs, Colo. (KRDO) - The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) was called out to Mitchell High School for a hazmat situation during the morning of Sept. 30.

CSFD says a student's cell phone began smoking, triggering a fire alarm.

The school was evacuated for about an hour and a half. CSFD says 26 people were checked out following possible exposure to the phone's lithium-ion battery. The department says some people experienced dizziness, but no one had to be taken to the hospital.

CSFD provided the following photos:

After students and staff were evacuated, hazmat crews moved in to make sure the building’s air was safe. Once the air was tested inside the school, CSFD cleared the building, and students were allowed back inside.

D11 said they are trying to figure out why the phone was out in the first place. 

"All cellphones are supposed to be in pouches locked, so that will be part of our debrief and investigation today, as why was that cell phone out, what went wrong how did it malfunction," says Jessica Wise from D11.

Lithium-ion batteries are in nearly every device we carry, from phones to laptops to even e-cigarettes. Experts say while they’re usually safe, damage or overheating can cause them to fail suddenly.

"Oftentimes when the battery goes bad, it can start to expand, it releases this gas inside, and when that happens, the battery, the phone basically becomes a fire hazard," says employee Jethro O'Brien from Colorado iPhone Repair.

If your phone starts getting unusually hot, swelling, or smoking, experts say to stop using it immediately and get it checked. 

"Here in the springs it can get hot, so you definitely wanna keep your phone cool," said O'Brien.

CSFD released the following tips when operating devices that contain lithium-ion batteries:

• Only use batteries and chargers that came with the device
• Never mix chargers
• Never charge devices on or near beds, couches, or under pillows
• Stop using a battery if it smells, leaks, hisses, changes shape, or gets too hot
• As soon as the device is done charging, remove it from the charger
• Recycle batteries properly- never throw them in the trash

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