Five people were injured Thursday morning after lithium powder caused a fire to break out in an Orlando business, fire officials announced.
According to Orlando Fire Chief C S, the call to the 7600 block of Municipal Drive came in around 8:20 a.m. and prompted several Orlando Fire Department crews to respond.
Assistant Orlando Fire Chief W L said the response to the fire was large because of its severity. The lithium ignition is toxic and cannot be suppressed using water, Lewis explained.
Lithium is most known for its presence in lithium-ion batteries, which power modern technology like electric vehicles, cell phones and more. L clarified that the fire was not related to a battery, but instead, powdered lithium present at the site for business.
Officials say the powder ignited, but the cause is still under investigation.
OFD posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying the fire was out just after 8:50 a.m.
In total, five people were injured. Three of those patients were transported to a nearby hospital, including two trauma alert burn patients.
Officials say two others are being monitored by crews but were not transported.
Fire crews add that teams are now decontaminating the area because this was a hazmat fire. L said crews were worried about potentially toxic smoke from the lithium, but added that it was determined to only be dangerous in very close proximity.
No firefighters were injured during this incident.
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Source: wesh
