Massachusetts

Lithium-ion battery fires jump rapidly in Massachusetts: ‘They’re nearly impossible to extinguish’

Published

2 weeks ago

April 17, 2024

Lithium-ion battery fires jump rapidly in Massachusetts: ‘They’re nearly impossible to extinguish’

Firefighters across Massachusetts are facing the “nearly impossible” task of extinguishing lithium-ion battery fires much more often, according to new state data showing that such blazes have spiked sharply in the past half-year.

The state Department of Fire Service created a checklist last October for local departments to use to track the number of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, which power large devices like electric vehicles and smaller items like smartphones and e-cigarettes.

So far, the form has helped 38 cities and towns identify 50 lithium-ion battery fires in the past six months, more than double the annual average detected by a national fire data reporting system, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine said in a release Wednesday.

The Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System, a state-level tool that mirrors and feeds into a national reporting system, recorded an average of 19.4 lithium-ion battery fires per year from 2019 to 2023.

“The increase since last fall could be due to the growing number of consumer devices powered by these batteries, increased attention by local fire investigators, or other factors,” Davine said.

The State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit immediately started using the form which is optional for local fire departments to gather information when responding to fires involving lithium-ion batteries – make and model of the device, purchase history, and whether it was charging at the time of the blaze.

Brockton Deputy Chief Kevin Galligan told the Herald that he believes the number of lithium-ion battery fires since October is more than double the figure the DFS has reported. Firefighters are still being educated about the form and about the kind of fire, he said.

In the past, firefighters blamed the device for the fire and not the battery, Galligan said.

“I’m personally to a point where almost every fire I go to now I’m assuming I’ll be dealing with lithium-ion batteries,” he said, “whether they’re the cause of the fire or they were involved in the fire. It’s almost as if we can’t get away from them at this point.”

Nine of the 50 fires that DFS reported involved battery-powered scooters, e-bikes, and hoverboards. Eight involved laptops and another eight involved cell phones, tablets, or similar devices. Power tools were involved in six fires.

“The device’s charging status could be determined in 41 of the 50 fires: surprisingly, 56% of these devices were not charging at the time of the incident,” according to officials.

Lithium-ion battery fires are “much more intense” than a fire caused by careless disposal of a cigarette or cooking, Galligan said. Smaller devices that use lithium-ion batteries like a drill or a laptop are relatively easy to extinguish, but it’s a different story for larger items like vehicles, he said.

“They’re nearly impossible to extinguish and you use thousands of gallons of water trying to cool the batteries to prevent it spreading from battery to battery,” Galligan said. “Once a battery is in thermal runaway, there’s nearly nothing you could do to stop that single cell. … The only thing we could do is try to cool the batteries around it to stop the spread.”

Even after the fire is extinguished, there is still more work for firefighters as they have to make sure all batteries are removed from the scene so they don’t cause a rekindle, Galligan said.

New York City has made national headlines, with the number of incidents there, soaring well over 200, injuring more than 100 people and killing 14. After a series of fires involving faulty e-bike batteries including a blaze that claimed four lives last June, officials announced they were receiving a $25 million emergency grant from the federal government to fund scores of charging stations citywide.

“It’s a significant challenge for the fire service,” Galligan said. “We are constantly coming up against whatever the next problem is, and it does require a lot of training and additional equipment to address this. But it’s something that we have to face because the lithium-ion batteries are not going away.”

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Massachusetts

What Shrewsbury, Westborough May Get In MA 2025 Budget

Published

51 mins ago

April 30, 2024

Press Room

What Shrewsbury, Westborough May Get In MA 2025 Budget

SHREWSBURY, MA — State House lawmakers last week passed their version of the fiscal 2025 budget, with local lawmakers including plenty of funding for local projects in the $58 billion spending plan.

State reps. Hannah Kane, R-Shrewsbury, and Kate Donaghue, D-Westborough, said they included money in the budget for the following local initiatives:

$50,000 for Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services
$10,000 for accessibility improvements to the bathrooms at Dean Park (Shrewsbury)
$10,000 for improvements to the gazebo at the Shrewsbury Town Common
$27,000 for radios for Westborough ambulances

The fiscal 2025 budget also includes an increase in Chapter 70 funding, which is the state’s contribution to each school district. Westborough could get about $12.3 million compared to $11.9 million in fiscal 2024, and Shrewsbury could get about $21.5 million compared to about $20.7 million in fiscal 2024.

The budget also includes an increase in unrestricted aid for cities and towns. That type of cash can be used for a variety of municipal services, ranging from libraries to the fire department. Westborough may get about $1.4 million in unrestricted aid ($1.39 million in fiscal 2024), and Shrewsbury may get $3.36 million ($3.22 million in fiscal 2024).

The House budget proposal, however, is subject to change. The state Senate will next take a crack at the budget with possible changes before it goes to Gov. Maura Healey for a signature. Healey could also veto portions of the budget. Last year, Healey vetoed $272 million in spending priorities.

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Massachusetts

Massachusetts Uncovered This Much in Public Benefits Fraud

Published

8 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Press Room

Massachusetts Uncovered This Much in Public Benefits Fraud

Times are tough these days in Massachusetts and elsewhere. Every penny counts, and those who spend taxpayer money must be sure the funds are spent responsibly.

It’s only fair to those who foot the bill.

A recent investigation by Massachusetts State Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s office has turned up nearly $3 million in public benefits fraud, money given to people who did not deserve it.

Some might argue that $3 million is a pittance compared to the totality of the state budget for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), estimated at $56 billion, but again, it is taxpayer money and should be spent accordingly.

The State Auditor’s Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) regularly audits spending for public benefits programs and usually uncovers some fraud. The most recent investigation was for October through December 2023, the second quarter of FY24.

DiZoglio’s probe uncovered fraud in 96 of the 1,451 cases it reviewed.

Massachusetts Uncovered This Much Public Benefits Fraud

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State House News Service says the investigation found $2,083,270.85 in MassHealth fraud; $692,851.50 in fraud in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); $74,195.05 in the Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children program; $7,909.33 in fraud connected to the Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children program; and $796.95 in fraud linked to the Personal Care Attendant Program.

DiZoglio’s office said the investigation recovered $228,185.97 through restitution settlements.

A statement accompanying the Bureau’s report states, “As a result of BSI’s investigations, public assistance fraud cases are referred to agencies for administrative action, fraudulent overpayments are recovered through civil agreements, individuals are disqualified from programs for specified periods of time, and cases are prosecuted in state and federal courts.”

Massachusetts’ Highest Paying Bachelor Degrees

Ready to chose a college major? Want to try and score the biggest paycheck possible after school is over? Then these are the fields you may want to study.

The United States Census Bureau has ranked bachelor degrees by median earnings and these fields came out on top.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

12 Things Invented in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

A lot of life-changing things have come out of Massachusetts. Here are a few of the Bay State inventions still relevant to our lives today.

Gallery Credit: Gazelle

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Massachusetts

Massachusetts Democrat demands universities crack down on anti-Israel protests: 'Shut them down'

Published

15 hours ago

April 29, 2024

Press Room

Massachusetts Democrat demands universities crack down on anti-Israel protests: 'Shut them down'

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Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., called for university leaders to shut down anti-Israel protests on college campuses, saying they had gone too far and threatened Jewish students’ safety.

The Democrat told NBC10 Boston that school leaders had a “responsibility” to shut down the protests for disrupting classes and making many Jewish students feel unsafe on campus.

“We live in a country that values freedom of speech,” Moulton told the local outlet. “But these protests in many cases have threatened the safety of Jewish students. They’ve completely disrupted the operation of universities, preventing all the other kids from being able to go to school. So, the universities have a right, and I would argue in this case, even a responsibility, to shut them down.”

“I was delighted to just see Harvard turn on the sprinklers the other day,” he added, speaking of his alma mater.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS TELL COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ADMIN, ‘TIME FOR NEGOTIATION IS OVER’

In an interview, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., called for universities to shut down anti-Israel protests on college campuses. (GREG NASH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Moulton argued there needed to be a balance between protecting protesters’ First Amendment rights and protecting the safety of Jewish students.

He said protesters “threatening other students” are a problem, but added that universities “have a right to take action.”

Moulton joins other Democrats who’ve begun pressuring universities to squash the disruptive protests.

Nearly two dozen House Democrats wrote a letter Monday urging Columbia University leadership to disband “the unauthorized and impermissible encampment of anti-Israel, anti-Jewish activists on campus.”

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Columbia University, where students have set up what is being referred to as a Gaza Solidarity Encampment, is shown in New York on April 24, 2024. (Getty Images)

Later that morning, Columbia threatened to suspend students or issue other disciplinary measures if they didn’t clear their belongings from the encampments by the afternoon.

“If you do not identify yourself upon leaving and sign the form now, you will not be eligible to sign and complete the semester in good standing. If you do not leave by 2 p.m., you will be suspended pending further investigation,” it warned.

However, some progressive members of Congress visited Columbia on Friday in support of anti-Israel protesters.

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