Mountain experts are warning outdoor enthusiasts to be vigilant after an exploding headtorch battery sparked a fire at Glenmore Lodge.
The blaze destroyed a bedroom at Scotland’s national outdoor training centre when the torch overheated while being recharged.
The contents of the battery shot 10 feet across the room, setting fire to a mattress.
Bosses at the centre, near Aviemore, warned walkers, climbers, mountaineers and others using rechargeable headtorches to check they are a reputable brand and not to leave them charging unattended for long periods.
A Glenmore Lodge spokesperson said: “The fire destroyed a first floor bedroom at the centre and all possessions in the room. While the situation was thankfully contained, it has prompted Glenmore Lodge to urge everyone to reconsider leaving electronic items recharging unattended and to share guidance issued by the fire service.”
Shaun Roberts, principal of the training centre, said “Our student had left the headtorch on charge in preparation for an overnight expedition the next day.
“We all understand the desire to have ‘full charge’ before heading out and few of us would think we need to monitor the device whilst it was charging. Consequently the headtorch was charging within an empty bedroom and during this time the batteries overheated, melting the compartment and exploding the internal contents of the battery 3m across the room, on to a mattress and created a blaze that destroyed the bedroom.”
The fire was contained thanks to the fire prevention design of the building, the efforts of the fire service and the quick response of staff, trained to respond to emergencies.
Mr Roberts said: “The battery looked like a spent shotgun cartridge. The headtorch is not a make that any of us would recognise as our regular brands and the device was purchased online via the southern hemisphere. A good price for a powerful LED but also a health and safety lottery.
“We’ll be asking all guests staying at Glenmore Lodge to never leave a device charging unattended and for us all to check out the CE certification printed on our personal devices, whether we use them at home or when we’re travelling.
“We are lucky that this occurred in a modern building, designed to cope, but what if this happened in your home or mountain hut?”
Glenmore Lodge issued advice provided by the fire service to help keep people safe:
- Never leave any device on charge unattended for long periods
- Only use the charger supplied with the device
- Ensure you purchase your gadget from a reputable source
- Check the device carries CE certification
- Test your smoke alarm regularly
- Close doors to prevent fire spreading
- Contact Trading Standards over any safety concerns.
JohnJ
20 February 2018Lithium ion cells need special chargers. I strongly suspect that the charging system used in this case is not correct - a disaster waiting to happen. The photo suggests that the cells are charged in situ - likely just wired in series and volts applied directly across the cells, not a very good idea.
H Walker
20 February 2018Looks like a cheap far-eastern knock-off from the fleabay! Buy cheap buy twice, people!
GrahamS
20 February 2018Seen the same thing happen with those cheap Chinese Cree bike lights. Some people I know will only charge them in old metal ammo boxes for that reason!
Slowcoach
20 February 2018Whose insurance paid up? Was the mattress fire retardent?
Malcolm Finlayson
20 February 2018Just note. CREE do not make lights, cheap or otherwise. They make the LED.
michael troup
20 February 2018It would be nice to know the brand so it can be avoided ....
Mike
21 February 2018Looks like a generic product, one of the cheapest available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rechargeable-Headlight-Adjustable-Waterproof-Flashlight/dp/B071YV9FV4/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1519227743&sr=8-25&keywords=led+headlight+rechargeable
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zoomable-Headlight-Headlamp-Waterproof-Rechargeable/dp/B077467FJ2/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1519227933&sr=8-23&keywords=led+headlight+rechargeable
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flashlight-Crazydream-Rechargeable-Waterproof-Comfortable/dp/B074QK3K7N/ref=sr_1_39_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1519228007&sr=8-39-spons&keywords=led+headlight+rechargeable&psc=1
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Huntvp-Headlight-Rechargeable-Flashlight-6000Lumens/dp/B071GXGDXJ/ref=sr_1_57?ie=UTF8&qid=1519228030&sr=8-57&keywords=led+headlight+rechargeable
Seriously, why would you?!
Eric Shaun
21 February 2018Most probably Made in China...
Craigy B
28 February 2018Cree is a very reputable LED maker, but it's a safe bet that this headlamp didn't have genuine Cree LEDs. It would have had Chinese made counterfeit Crees, same as the headlamps Mike linked above. The last of those headlamps shows the counterfeit LED in the centre housing very clearly. That headlamp also has a greatly exaggerated 6000 lumen output (600 lm would be more like it considering the fake LEDs), a greatly exaggerated IPX8 code (IPX4 is what is described, but it probably hasn't been tested at all), and the Li-ion cells in the photo have an exaggerated 4000 mAh capacity printed on them (the best brands top out at 3400 to 3600 mAh and I've seen Chinese cells test as low as 400 mAh).
Of course the fake LEDs weren't to blame for the explosion, but these are the sorts of lies you get for buying cheap Chinese headlamps, along with the cheap unprotected exploding Li-ion cells and a dodgy USB charging method. I doubt supervision would have made much difference, unless you supervised it with a fire extinguisher while wearing fireproof underwear.