What should I do if a drone battery starts smoking?
Answer
Treat this as a fire risk, not a fault to troubleshoot. If it is safe to approach, move the drone outdoors away from anything that can burn, onto a non-flammable surface, and keep well back. Do not fly it, do not recharge that battery, and do not put a smoking lithium battery in water or in your bin.
Before you start: stop right away if…
- A smoking lithium battery can vent flame without warning and reignite hours later. Do not carry it indoors, in a vehicle, or against your body.
- Never charge, fly, or reuse a battery that has smoked, swelled, or been damaged, even if it seems to work.
- Damaged lithium batteries must never go in household waste or ordinary recycling.
Follow these steps
Get people away first
Move everyone back and ventilate the room. Lithium fumes are harmful to breathe.
You should see: Nobody is in the immediate area.
Move it outside only if safe
If it is not alight and you can carry it safely, place it outdoors on concrete or bare earth, away from buildings, vehicles, and anything flammable.
You should see: The drone is isolated where a fire could not spread.
Do not use water on it
Never submerge a smoking lithium battery or douse it with water. If a fire starts, call the emergency services and say a lithium battery is involved.
You should see: Responders arrive knowing what they are dealing with.
Leave it well alone for hours
Damaged cells can reignite long after they appear to have settled. Keep it isolated and observed from a distance.
You should see: Any further reaction happens somewhere harmless.
Dispose of it properly and report it
Take it to a recycling centre that accepts damaged lithium batteries — never household waste. Report the failure to the manufacturer with the serial number.
You should see: The battery is disposed of safely and the fault is on record.
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Extra tips
What to look for: Swelling, a puffed or split casing, heat, or a sweet chemical smell. Any of these mean the pack is unsafe even if the smoke stops.
Before you change anything: Do not attempt this if the fire has taken hold or you feel unsafe. Leave and call the emergency services.
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