Overcharging can ignite a fire

As a warning against overcharging toys with lithium batteries, a government safety agency said there have been dozens of recent reports of remote-controlled helicopters catching fire while being charged. Rechargeable lithium batteries are increasingly used in toys, but overcharging the batteries, which hold a lot of energy in a small package, can result in overheating, fire or an explosion, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

Citing minor incidents of burns and property damage, the agency said there were 26 reports since November 2007 of remote-controlled helicopters igniting while being charged and one report of a toy helicopter igniting during flight. One of the toy’s importers, Soft Air USA Inc. of Grapevine, Texas, announced that it was recalling 30,000 remote-controlled Fun2Fly Microcopter toys, made in China, because its batteries can catch fire during charging, posing a fire or burn hazard to consumers.

The agency is asking consumers to follow manufacturers’ instructions when charging toys with rechargeable lithium batteries. It also gives some safety recommendations:

Do not leave the toy unattended while charging it.

Charge the device on a nonflammable surface and keep it away from flammable items.

Turn the charger off when the toy’s battery is charged, and always unplug it from the toy.

Disconnect AC wall chargers from outlets while not in use.