WALLA WALLA, Wash. –
A battery sitting on a wooden shelf in a Washington State Penitentiary pump house started a fire Thursday.
That lithium ion battery caused an estimated $35,000 in damages according to the Walla Walla Fire Department.
Walla Walla Fire Department determined the fire under control after just under an hour.
They said the battery overheated causing the fire which had made it into the attic by the time they arrived.
The dire department encourages extra precautions with any batteries during the heat. They recommend keeping batteries at room temperature and storing them out of direct sunlight or hot vehicles.
