FORT PIERCE, Fla. — WPTV is learning more about a fire that burned down two sheds in Fort Pierce and now the homeowner is pleading for any assistance.
WATCH: 'They do tend to burn faster and hotter,' Fire Marshal Andres Elizondo says of lithium ion batteries
The St. Lucie County Fire District (SLCFD) told WPTV Tyler Hatfield that a lithium ion battery may have caused the fire.
Homeowner Benton Tomlin walked around the charred remains of his two sheds on Thursday.
“This is my whole life,” said Tomlin. “This is everything I’ve got.”
Last night, Tomlin said he heard a loud explosion.
“Sounded like a bomb,” he said. “Like a fire tractor, like a shotgun."
Tomlin said he tried to put the flames out with his hose, but it was too late.
“I thought I was going to die,” he said.
Tomlin, his wife and two dogs are OK but the fire damaged his well.
“[I have] no running water,” said he said. “ I haven't had a bath since yesterday.”
Tomlin said the burned rubble is hard for him to look at.
“Making me sick to talk about it,” he said. “Everything that I own was in in that place.”
SLCFD said from their early investigation the fire may have been caused by a lithium ion battery.
“Lithium batteries are all over the place,” said Fire Marshal Andres Elizondo.
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Elizondo said fires caused by these batteries can make fighting them challenging.
“They do tend to burn faster and hotter,” he said.
Elizondo said the way to prevent fires from these batteries is to avoid overcharging them and charging the batteries in a safe place.
“Making sure that you're not charging them in areas, like on top of beds or on couches,” he said.
To dispose the batteries, Elizondo said to put them in specialized recycling centers or find a household hazardous waste collection point.
“You don't want to put them in your household trash or recycling,” he said.
The fire is still under investigation.
Tomlin said he would love a helping hand to remove debris and clean up.
“I can use all the help in the world,” said Tomlin. “That’s all I want.”
