On Wednesday, June 26th, at approximately 11:37 am, the Toms River Fire Department responded to Las Vegas Rd in the Monterey Beach section of Toms River for a reported fire involving an electric bike.

Upon arrival, the fire department confirmed that there was a fire involving the battery pack of an electric bike outside the home, which had been primarily extinguished by the homeowner before the fire department’s arrival.

The fire was extinguished without incident, and the nature of the damaged battery prompted a response from the Berkeley Township Hazmat Team.

The scene was documented by Inspector Carlin, and the damaged battery was packaged in a container for disposal.

After the battery was packed by the Berkeley Township Hazmat Team, the homeowner placed the container in his vehicle for disposal. Inspector Carlin, still on the scene documenting the incident, observed the container on fire in the back of the vehicle. This prompted a second response from the Toms River Fire Department and the Berkeley Hazmat Team to repack the battery for a second time.

The battery was original to the bike, not recently used, and only used with the manufacturer’s charger. The device was stored outside in direct sunlight at the time the fire occurred.

The Toms River Bureau of Fire Prevention reminds everyone that fires involving Lithium-Ion batteries can be extremely dangerous to life and health and to utilize safe practices in your home or business when using Lithium-Ion batteries.