A Sunday afternoon ended with a bang April 16 in Anna Maria.
West Manatee Fire Rescue fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski told The Islander that firefighters had extinguished a battery fire in the garage at 316 Hammock Circle, Anna Maria.
Kwiatkowski said Mayor Dan Murphy, who lives nearby, first reported hearing explosions around 4:56 p.m. coming from inside the home, owned by John and Ann Hackinson.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the two-car garage.
After securing the perimeter, firefighters entered the property to find multiple lithium-ion batteries had exploded while charging in the garage, resulting in a “white glowing” fire that was extinguished with water.
Firefighters also rescued a dog from a kennel that was in the house during the incident.
“The crews did an amazing job,” Kwiatkowski said. “It’s a good outcome. Nobody was hurt.”
While old and/or damaged batteries can be prone to fires or explosions, Hackinson told Kwiatkowski the batteries had been recently purchased, so one or more may have been defective.
“Even brand-new batteries can have a defect of some type straight from the manufacturer,” Kwiatkowski said.
Kwiatkowski did not provide an estimated cost of damage to the property but said it had been contained to the garage and a golf cart that was parked inside might be a total loss.
Murphy wrote in an April 16 text message to The Islander that he was happy the Hackinsons and their dog were unscathed.
“I heard several small explosions and ran over to their house. I thought John might be inside,” Murphy wrote. “My wife Barb called the Hackinsons’ cellphone and, as it turned out, they were on the beach… much to the deputies and my relief!”
“We are so thankful nobody was injured!” he added.