>>> IN IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
LITHIUM BATTERIES EXPLODE.
THEY'RE FOUND IN CELL PHONES,
LAPTOPS, TABLETS, EVEN TOYS.
ONE WRONG MOVE WHEN A BATTERY
STARTS TO SMOKE AND THAT FIRE
SUDDENLY GETS MUCH, MUCH WORSE.
YOU'VE YOU'VE HEARD THE STORIES
FLAMES.
TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU
JUST HOW DODGERS THESE BATTERY
FIRES CAN -- DANGEROUS THESE
BATTERY FIRES CAN GET IN
SECONDS.
BILL SPENCER HAS FOUR STEPS TO
KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE.
>> Reporter: IT'S AN ABSOLUTELY
TERRIFYING SIGHT.
A LITHIUM CELL PHONE BATTERY
EYES.
FLYING THROUGH THE AIR, LIKE A
ROCKET.
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO
CAPTURING THE VERY MOMENT A
SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE7 STARTED
SMOKING IN A COUNCILWOMAN'S
HAND.
-- WOMAN'S HAND.
THIS IS THE SAME PHONE A FEW
MINUTES LATER.
MORE VIDEO OF A CAR BURSTING
INTO FLAMES AFTER YET ANOTHER
LITHIUM-POWERED DEVICE WAS
CHARGING INSIDE.
INCREDIBLE, SOMETHING SO TINY
CARRIES SO MUCH POWER.
>> THE LITHIUM BATTERIES ARE THE
MOST COMMON BATTERIES BEING USED
TODAY IN THE UNITED STATES.
THERE'S A LOT OF POWER IN A VERY
SMALL SPACE.
>> Reporter: YES, THEY POWER
CELL PHONES, LAPTOPS, TABLETS,
CAMERAS, PORTABLE DVD PLAYERS,
PORTABLE RADIOS, AND YES,
HOVERBOARD
AT JUST 14 YEARS OLD, COLE FROM
CYPRESS KNOWS FIRSTHAND HOW
BE.
>> THERE WAS THREE EXPLOSIONS,
BOOM.
>> COAL, AN EIGHTH GRADE
BASKETBALL PLAYER, HAD HIS
HOVERBOARD LESS THAN 24 HOURS
WHEN IT EXPLODED, SECONDS AFTER
HE HEARD IT MAKING A STRANGE
SOUND STRANGE RODE IT OUTSIDE
MAYBE 10, 15 MINUTES, AND HEAR
[SOUND EFFECTS]
IT BASICALLY BLEW PARTS ALL OVER
THE YARD.
>> Reporter: NOW, WORKING WITH
EXPERTS AT THE CY-FAIR VOLUNTEER
FIRE TRAINING CENTER, WE'RE
ABOUT TO SHOW YOU THROUGH VIDEO
LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE
JUST HOW VIOLENTLY LITHIUM
BATTERIES BURN.
>> THEY DO BURN VERY, VERY
INTENSELY AND VERY QUICKLY.
IT.
>> Reporter: JUST WATCH AS WE
PUNCTURE A COUPLE OF LITHIU
BATTERIES AND SET THEM ON FIRE.
IS ADD WATER.
WATCH WHAT HAPPENS.
>> Reporter: YOU'VE JUST MADE
THAT FIRE 10 TIMES WORSE.
WORKING WITH SCIENTISTS A
UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES IN
CHICAGO, NBC NEWS SHOWS WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE WHEN YOU CRUSH A
LITHIUM CELL PHONE BATTERY.
AND JUST WATCH WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
THEY PURPOSEICALLY OVERCHARGE A
LITHIUM -- PURPOSEFULLY
OVERCHARGE A LITHIUM BATTERY.
>> IT CAN OVERHEAT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD
CHARGER, FOR EXAMPLE.
>> Reporter: AN IMPORTANT LESSON
ABOUT ALL OF THAT POWER, STORED
BATTERIES.
YOU'VE SEEN FIRSTHAND HOW
VIOLENTLY THESE LITHIUM
BATTERIES CAN BURN.
WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW
ABOUT THEM?
>> THAT IT'S EVEN MORE VIOLENT
THAN YOU CAN EVEN IMAGINE.
>> IT'S VERY RARE, BUT YOU'VE
GOT ALL THAT ENERGY IN WITH YOUR
POCKET.
>> Reporter: NOW, WE DO HAVE
SOME TIPS TO KEEP YOU AND YOUR
FAMILY SAFE.
NUMBER ONE, DON'T SIT ON OR
CRUSH THE CELL PHONE BY PUTTING
IT INTO YOUR BACK POCKET OR INTO
A BACKPACK.
NUMBER TWO, WHEN YOU'RE CHARGING
YOUR CELL PHONE, MAKE SURE YOU
USE A MANUFACTURER'S APPROVED
CHARGER.
AND YOU DON'T OVERCHARGE THE
DEVICE.
NUMBER THREE, IF YOU NOTICE
ANYTHING KIND OF -- IF YOU
NOTICE THAT THE -- YOU NEED A
NEW BATTERY, MAKE SURE YOU BUY A
BATTERY THAT'S COMPATIBLE.
A MANUFACTURER'S APPROVED
KNOCK-OFF.
AND FINALLY, IF YOU NOTICE ANY
CHANGE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF
YOUR CELL PHONE, IT'S NOT
CHARGING, IT'S NOT HOLDING A
CHARGE, IT'S NOT PERFORMING
RIGHT, TAKE TO IT A REPAIR SHOP
RIGHT AWAY.
REPORTING LIVE, BILL SPENCER,
KPRC CHANNEL 2 NEWS.
>> ALL RIGHT, BILL, THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
>>> AND YOU CAN FIND MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT LITHIUM
BATTERY FIRES AT
CLICK2HOUSTON.COM.
SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE7 RECALL.