LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- "TEMA is here now (7:10 pm), and the battery is still way too hot to move, and TDEC is on its way to assist," said LFD Chief Jimmy Pack. He adds that everyone is safe, and his men and trucks will remain on scene until all is clear. "What's gonna happen next is an independent contractor will come in and properly dispose of the battery," said Chief Pack.
Already into hour two, Pack notes that this could take several more hours.
Firefighters with the La Follette Fire Department were called to a van in the driveway of a home, at Linden Park late Tuesday afternoon. The emergency was that a large lithium battery that hooks to solar panels swelled and overheated in the back of a van.
"We were able to get the battery off to itself and keep everyone away from its fumes. We covered the solar panels to keep any more energy from being generated," said LFD Chief Jimmy Pack.
LFD does not have the resources to properly and safely dispose of a battery of this size. As a result, technicians from Tennessee Emergency Management (TEMA) are on their way to the scene on Riverview Drive to take the battery away, according to Pack.
The chief said the battery weighs 100 pounds, and the initial concern was that they could have a thermal incident. That’s when batteries overheat, like this one, posing serious risks such as fire or even explosion.
Before acquiring the home, the homeowner lived in the van using the solar panels for energy, stated Pack. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-09/29/2026-6PM)
