King Street apartment fire caused by lithium-ion battery

An overnight fire that displaced nine people at an apartment complex was caused by a lithium-ion battery for a portable speaker, according to the Honolulu Fire Department.

The fire broke out at about midnight Monday at 1507 S. King Street in Honolulu.

HFD responded with 10 units and 38 personnel, arriving on scene within 10 minutes to find light smoke coming from the top floor of a four-story building.

Firefighters were able to fully extinguish the fire at 12:35 a.m. after an offensive attack. No injuries were reported.

The American Red Cross, however, assisted nine displaced occupants.

HFD said the case has been classified as accidental, and that the fire was caused by thermal runaway — a chemical chain reaction that occurs inside a lithium-ion battery when heat generation exceeds heat dissipation — from a portable speaker that was in the living room.

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Estimated damages were placed at $905,000, including the structure and its contents.

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