2 Elderly Residents Hospitalized After Wheelchair Battery Catches Fire

Michigan firefighters rescued two elderly residents from an apartment fire in their assisted living facility after a lithium-ion battery from an electric wheelchair caught fire. 

The Ann Arbor Fire Department responded to the report of a structure fire at University Living at Ann Arbor, an assisted-living facility, early in the morning on Nov. 22, according to a Facebook post made by the fire department. 

According to authorities, the fire was said to be caused by a reaction that occurred with the lithium-ion battery in an electric wheelchair. Luckily the responders were prepared to handle the situation, said the authorities.

Authorities had to rescue two mobility-impaired residents from the apartment on fire, which was already filled with smoke. Both residents were transported to the University of Michigan Hospital due to smoke inhalation and elevated carbon monoxide levels, said the authorities. 

Other residents near the area had to be partially evacuated to other areas of the building due to sprinklers going off and smoke near the fire said the fire department.

In order to prevent further damage in case of another reaction, officials placed the exploded and remaining pieces of the battery in a protective material known as CellBlock, said authorities.

The damage done from the incident is estimated at over $200,000, according to the fire department. 

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