LAKEVILLE — The Lakeville fire department responded to a fire caused by a teen’s laptop at a home in Lakeville on Thursday night, the fire department has reported. 

The fire broke out just before 9 p.m. on Thursday night. The fire occurred as a result of the laptop’s lithium-ion battery overheating. A seventeen-year-old girl said she noticed the fire after hearing a “pop” and looked back to see her laptop in flames. The teen reportedly unplugged the laptop and exited the room to get help. 

By the time firefighters had arrived on the scene, family members had used bedding to smother the fire. Firefighters entered the home and removed the laptop, bedding and a mattress. The battery burned with such intensity that the fire quickly burned downward into the mattress, fire staff reported. 

Crews ventilated the home and found no extension of the fire. When the home was made safe, it was released back to the family. 

Due to the danger of reignition, the laptop and the battery were taken back to the fire station and placed in a container to contain the hazard, fire crews reported.

During the fire, one of the family’s two cats escaped the home. The family was concerned that because the cat, named Thomas, was an indoor cat, he would not return. The fire department reported that Thomas was found and is safe.

In light of the event, the fire department recommends that laptops be stored on a hard surface to allow for proper ventilation and cooling.