Battery Explosion Sparked North Andover Fire

Authorities say a fire that began on the second-story balcony of an apartment in North Andover started when a lithium-ion battery exploded

Firefighters were called to 99 Edgelawn Ave. just before 6:30 p.m. on July 7. A battery had been left in the sun for hours, causing it to overheat and explode.

The fire was extinguished quickly, but battery fires are extremely dangerous as they can reignite without warning hours after they are put out, the North Andover Fire Department said.

Everyone escaped the six-unit building without injury.

North Andover Fire Chief John Weir said the fire should stand as a warning of the dangers of mishandling batteries.

“Overheating and overcharging lithium-ion batteries can lead to an explosion or fire that puts everyone in the home at risk,” Weir said. “Fortunately, residents quickly became aware of the fire and were able to extinguish it, but under different circumstances, it could have spread and caused serious damage or worse.”