Charleston, South Carolina — The Charleston Fire Department will kick off Fire Prevention Week 2025 with a parade and a family safety event, promoting awareness about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries.
The subject for this year’s Fire Prevention Week is “Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home,” which focusses on how to safely buy, charge, and recycle the batteries that power common electronics.
The launch procession will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 4, at President and Fishburne streets. Fire departments from across the region will join a parade of emergency vehicles travelling down King Street, across the peninsula on Calhoun Street, and down Savannah Highway to Orleans Road. The event will end in Citadel Mall with a static display of fire and emergency equipment.
After the procession, the department and regional agencies will have a family fire safety event at Citadel Mall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will include family-friendly activities, safety demonstrations, and exhibits of emergency equipment.
Lithium-ion batteries, which are found in smartphones, laptops, e-cigarettes, toys, headphones, lawn equipment, and other gadgets, can pose major safety hazards if damaged or misused, according to officials. Batteries can overheat, catch fire, and even explode.
The fire department encourages homeowners to take three important safety steps:
Purchase safely. Choose products bearing a certification mark from a nationally recognised testing lab. Avoid low-cost or unlisted products, as they may not exceed safety requirements.
Charge safely. Use chargers supplied by the manufacturer or certified by them, avoid charging on soft surfaces such as mattresses or couches, and unplug devices after fully charged.
Recycle responsibly. Never place lithium-ion batteries in household trash or recycling containers. Return used gadgets and batteries to a recognised recycling centre.
