Children’s book blamed for battery fire, publishers dispute the findings

Aug 30, 2024

Jack Aylmer Energy Correspondent

By Jack Aylmer (Energy Correspondent), Jack Henry (Video Editor)

A North Carolina family faced a potentially life-threatening situation this week when a fire broke out in the back seat of their minivan, resulting in thousands of dollars in damages. A children’s book, equipped with electronic components designed to produce sounds when the reader presses a button, allegedly caused the fire.

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Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, and the family was able to extinguish the fire themselves with a hose. Upon investigation, local fire officials determined that the flames were started by a lithium-ion battery inside the book, which they believe overheated and ignited.

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“A child’s cars seat caught fire shortly after they had exited the vehicle to go inside,” Chief Bobby Craig from the George Hildebran Fire and Rescue Department, said. “It was determined that a ‘Button Battery’ inside a children’s book left inside the car underneath the seat caused the fire.”

However, the book’s publisher, Cottage Door Press, disputed the conclusion. The company maintained that its books only use alkaline batteries, not lithium-ion batteries, which contradicts the firefighter’s conclusion. As a result, the publisher has declined to compensate the family for the damages incurred.

“Our electronic children’s books, which have sold millions of units without incident, use alkaline batteries, not lithium-ion batteries,” Cottage Door Press in a statement. “We are relieved that no one was injured and are working closely with local officials and experts to determine the cause of this incident.”

Tags: Books, North Carolina

[JACK AYLMER]

A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING INCIDENT IN THIS FAMILY MINIVAN-

THE SCENE OF A FIRE WHICH CAUSED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGES.

ALL BECAUSE OF A CHILDREN’S BOOK.

WHEN A NORTH CAROLINA MOTHER BECAME AWARE OF A FIRE BURNING IN THE BACK SEAT OF HER VEHICLE THIS WEEK-
HER FAMILY SPRANG INTO ACTION TO EXTINGUISH IT WITH A HOSE.

FORTUNATELY NOBODY WAS INJURED-

BUT AS THE SMOKE CLEARED, THE CAUSE OF THE BLAZE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A CHILD’S BOOK THAT CONTAINED ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS WHICH MAKE SOUNDS WHEN A BUTTON IS PRESSED.

LOCAL FIRE OFFICIALS SAY A LITHIUM-ION BATTERY WITHIN THE BOOK OVERHEATED, AND STARTED BURNING.

BUT THE BOOK’S PUBLISHERS ARE NOW SAYING THIS VERSION OF EVENTS JUST ISN’T POSSIBLE-
REFUSING TO PAY THE FAMILY BACK FOR THE DAMAGES INCURRED.

COTTAGE DOOR PRESS ASSERTS THEY ONLY USE ALKALINE BATTERIES IN THEIR BOOKS-
WHICH CONTRADICTS THE CONCLUSION REACHED BY FIREFIGHTERS OF A LITHIUM-ION BATTERY FIRE.

THE PUBLISHER GOING ON TO SAY THEY’VE SOLD MILLIONS OF BOOKS WITHOUT A SINGLE INCIDENT LIKE THIS ONE BEFORE-
AND THAT THEY ARE NOW WORKING CLOSELY WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS AND EXPERTS TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE.

JACK AYLMER – STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.