The weekend kicked off in an eventful way for the Columbia Fire Department, which responded to two house fires, including one that involved an exploding lithium-ion battery.

The department responded at about 10:31 p.m. Sept. 19 to the 4100 block of Grant Lane following reports of an explosion and house fire. When CFD arrived, heavy smoke was showing from outside. An electric wheelchair's battery had exploded, causing significant damage to the wheelchair and immediate area, but the fire had not spread to the rest of the house due to fire department personnel containment of the incident.

"Molten fragments of battery and metal were thrown throughout the space during the explosion and created an extremely dangerous situation for occupants and firefighters," CFD said in a news release.

One p

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