Cell Phone Explodes at Beacon, New York Assisted Living Facility

Phone Explodes in Beacon, NY Assisted Living Facility

On August 11th, 2025, Beacon Fire units were dispatched to Hedgewood Assisted Living Facility.

When units arrived on scene they were informed by staff that "a resident's cell phone had exploded on the 2nd floor." After the explosion, there was light smoke in the hallway.

Thankfully, there were no injuries reported and the fire was contained to the cell phone. The Beacon Professional Firefighters IAFF L-3490 shared on Facebook that lithium ion batteries "can become extremely volatile when damaged, become wet, used improperly, charged with a low quality charger, or improper power source."

With that, we found some helpful tips to keep you safe around lithium batteries.

Lithium Battery Fire Safety Tips

As technology changes, we're seeing more and more devices made with lithium-ion batteries.

The National Fire Protection Association explains that "while these batteries provide an effective and efficient source of power," they do pose a serious danger.

Lithium-ion batters can overheat, causing them to catch fire, or like the phone at Hedgewood, explode. To avoid any of these dangerous situations the NFPA has shared a few tips to follow while using  lithium-ion batteries.

These tips include:

• Only purchase and use devices, batteries, and charging equipment that are listed by a nationally recognized testing lab and labeled accordingly.
• Do not keep charging the device or device batter after it is fully charged.
• Stop using your device if the batter shows signs of damage, such as an unusual odor, excessive heat, popping sounds, swelling or change in color.

They also recommend not throwing lithium-ion batteries in the trash, adding "Recycling is always the best option."

You can reach out to your local waste department for disposal instructions.

Fire Safety Month Recognizes Lithium-Ion Battery Safety in 2025

Fire Prevention Week 2025 will land on October 5th through the 11th this year.

During FPW the National Fire Prevention Association has announced Charge into Fire Safety Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home campaign. They write:

 This year's theme works to educate everyone about how important it is to BUY, CHARGE, and RECYCLE safely when it comes to lithium-ion batteries.

Learn more below: