As our portable electronic devices continue to get thinner and lighter, manufacturers have had to figure out ways to store a lot of energy in a small package. And advancements in lithium batteries have allowed them to do just that. But as use of lithium batteries has become widespread in devices like laptops and smartphones, we’ve also seen an increase in battery fires. According to a 2018 report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 25,000 overheating or fire incidents have been reported over a five-year period — involving more than 400 types of lithium battery powered products. If you’ve flown on an airplane or shipped a package recently, you’ve probably seen warnings related to the dangers of lithium battery fires. But how do these fires start? And more importantly, what can you do to prevent them? Here’s what you need to know. Why Do Lithium Batteries Catch Fire? Every type of battery creates electricity by turning chemical energy into electrical energy. It does this by using chemical reactions to create a flow of electrons from one material to another. We’ll spare you the rest of the science lesson. The important thing to know is that the materials…

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