10/06/2026
What’s your fire safety superpower?
Maybe it’s remembering to unplug your phone when it’s at 100 percent.
Maybe it’s keeping your laptop off the bed while it charges.
Maybe it’s knowing when a battery is telling you something is wrong.
This Fire Prevention Week, we’re asking Minnesotans to "Charge into fire safety.”
Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries power so much of our everyday lives—phones, tablets, laptops, headphones, toys, power tools, e-bikes and more. But when batteries are damaged, defective or charged improperly, they can overheat and start a fire.
Power up your safety superpowers:
• Use the charger and cord that came with your device or one listed by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory.
• Soft surface? Hard pass. Charge on a hard, flat surface—not a bed, couch, pillow or blanket.
• Fully charged? Time to unplug the device and charger.
• For larger devices like e-bikes, scooters and power tools, charge outside when possible and never block an exit.
• If a device becomes unusually hot, damaged, smells strange or makes weird sounds, stop using it.
You don’t need a cape to be a fire safety superhero. Sometimes, all it takes is making a smarter choice when you plug in.
Charge smart. Stay safe. Be the superhero your home needs.
