LA VERGNE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A La Vergne family was forced from their home Saturday night after a lithium battery connected to a solar panel exploded in their garage, sparking a fire that spread to the attic.

The father was working in the garage on Ace Wintermeyer Drive when he noticed a sweet scent coming from the lithium-ion battery bank. He said as he picked it up to move it, the battery exploded, sparking flames through the garage.

“When the battery gets to that point, especially a lithium of that size, you’re looking at 1,800 degrees that batteries burning,” said La Vergne Fire Marshal Curtis Brinkly.

The father was not injured when the battery erupted in his hands, and he was able to run inside to get his family and pets out safely. Two cars and the home were damaged in the fire.

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