Lithium-ion battery sparks fire in Ocala apartment

OCALA, Fla. – A lithium-ion battery attached to a scooter caught fire Wednesday morning in an empty Ocala apartment, according to fire rescue.

Firefighters responded at 4:24 a.m. to the Laurel Park Apartments after a resident reported smelling smoke from a neighboring unit.

According to Ocala Fire Rescue, crews saw smoke coming from a window of a second-story unit. Firefighters searched the apartment and confirmed no one was inside.

As firefighters worked to put out the fire, police evacuated adjacent units. Firefighters cleared one unit that shared a wall with the apartment that was on fire and found three children asleep inside.

Fire rescue said the fire was put out quickly “with a water can.”

It was determined that the fire started from a lithium-ion battery attached to a scooter.