The Maple Ridge fire department is investigating three fires in the past week, including one at a business started by a cell phone battery.
Only the exterior portion along the side of a house was burned in a fire in the 11500-block of 240th Street in Maple Ridge on Monday.
Firefighters responded to the call just before 2 p.m. Initially, flames were reported to be showing, but were quickly put out, with just smoke showing from a two-storey home.
One person was in the house at the time of the fire, said Maple Ridge fire chief Howard Exner, adding the home has a basement suite with a tenant.
A woman holding a blanket around her shoulders was checked by paramedics and released.
Exner said the fire damage was limited to the exterior of the house.
Another residential fire took place Sunday on 204th Street, where one firefighter injured his back.
Firefighters saved a dog, though.
The third fire occurred at a business in the 22500-block of Lougheed Highway around 11 a.m. Monday.
In that fire, Exner said a cell phone had a “lithium battery meltdown” and caused a fire on a chair.
“The occupants were able to control the fire enough so the fire department didn’t have a lot to do as far as fire control,” he added.
The building was filled with smoke, but firefighters cleared it.
Exner noted it’s not common for a lithium ion battery to cause a fire during the charging process.
He advised the best surface for charging cell phones and laptop computers is on a hard surface, such as a counter or tabletop.
Softer surfaces, such as beds and couches, can cause problems, he added.
newsroom@mapleridgenews.com
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