Fire marshal: Recalled Anker charger 'most probable cause' of Leitersburg-area house fire

Fire officials say a recently recalled charger is the "most probable cause" of a fire at a Leitersburg-area home Friday morning and credited the homeowners for their quick response in preventing the fire from spreading.

The owners of a home in the Cedar Hills East housing development, southwest of Leitersburg, compartmentalized the fire by re-shutting the door to an unoccupied bedroom and evacuating the home, Leitersburg Fire Chief Kirk Mongan said.

"They get tons of credit" for how they handled the fire, Mongan said in a phone interview Friday morning.

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Mongan said no one was injured.

The fire was reported at 4:02 a.m. Friday, a Washington County 911 supervisor said.

Probable cause of fire was Anker charging device

The fire started at or near a packed suitcase in an unoccupied bedroom on the second floor, Mongan said.

Inside the suitcase was an Anker 535 Power Bank charger that had been used about a week ago, Mongan said. There were no other electrical devices or anything else in the suitcase that would have caused the fire, he said.

The unit in the suitcase was destroyed, but fire officials were able to look at a receipt for the Anker device, which was delivered in November, Mongan said. When that information was shared with the fire marshal's office, Leitersburg fire officials were told the device had recently been recalled by Anker.

"It was agreed this was the most probable cause," Master Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire wrote in an email Friday morning after consulting with the investigating fire marshal.

The recall notice at Anker's website states: "We have discovered that due to a manufacturing condition, a small number of our Anker 535 Power Banks may overheat and pose a fire safety risk. The safety of our customers is Anker Innovations’ highest priority, and we have issued a voluntary recall of all Anker 535 Power Bank (PowerCore 20K) A1366 devices."

The state fire marshal's office will notify Anker about the fire, Alkire wrote.

In an emailed statement sent late Friday, a company spokesman said Anker hadn't been notified of the incident.

"Anker is grateful that the fire was contained and that first responders were able to minimize the damage," wrote Eric Villines, the company's chief communications officer. "Anker has stopped all sales of the affected product and has begun the process of informing customers and communicating with our retail partners."

What the homeowners did to contain the fire

Mongan said both an alarm in the house went off and the alarm company called the house about the alarm.

The homeowners got up, investigated the alarm and found the fire in a bedroom where the door had been closed, Mongan said.

The homeowners shot a fire extinguisher into the room, shut the door and evacuated, he said.

Mongan said he wasn't sure how effective the extinguisher was in this case, but it was "super important" they closed the door again.

Shutting the door basically compartmentalized the fire and kept more air from being introduced to the fire, Mongan said. Any windows in the room also were closed.

If the door had been left open, the air introduced to the bedroom would have allowed the flames to grow quicker and move throughout the house, he said. It is a large two-story home, he said.

How much damage was caused by the fire?

Firefighters found a small amount of fire in the suitcase, and the bed by the suitcase was a bit charred and smoldering, Mongan said. They were able to use "very little water" to get the fire out within 5 minutes.

There was considerable smoke damage and some damage because firefighters needed to make sure the fire didn't get into the ceiling area and walls, Mongan said.

He did not have an estimate for the damage.

Theorectically, the residents weren't displaced because the house still should have been habitable, Mongan said. Utilities were shut off to the room where the fire occurred.

Mongan said he believes three people live in the home.

What to do with recalled Anker 535 Power Banks, lithium batteries

If you own an Anker 535 Power Bank (PowerCore 20K) A1366 device, Anker's website states to:

• Stop using the charger immediately
• Store the charger in a safe spot
• Do not throw the battery into the trash or recycling
• Dispose of the device at a facility that accepts lithium batteries
• The site has a link to initiate a refund

Washington County's Forty West Landfill, west of Hagerstown off U.S. 40, accepts lithium batteries as part of its recycling program, said Dave Mason, deputy director of environmental management. There is no charge to recycle those batteries at the landfill, he said.

Home Depot's website, under a heading about laptop batteries, states lithium-ion batteries are accepted at the chain's Call2Recycle sites. A Home Depot spokesperson could not immediately be reached about the current status of that program.

The Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal also offered tips:

• Follow the manufacturer's instructions for storage, use, charging and maintenance.
• When replacing batteries and chargers for electronic devices, make sure they are specifically designed and approved for use with the device and are purchased from the device's manufacturer or a manufacturer-authorized reseller.
• Remove lithium-powered devices and batteries from the charger once they are fully charged.
• Store lithium batteries and devices in dry, cool locations.
• Avoid damaging lithium batteries and devices. Inspect them for signs of damage, including bulging/cracking, hissing, leaking, rising temperature and smoking before use — especially if they are wearable. If any of those signs are present, immediately stop using the device or battery and place it in an area away from flammable materials.