(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) said the cause of the fire at the Lookout at Broadmoor apartments that happened on Thursday, Dec. 14, was due to a lithium-ion battery in an electric scooter.

CSFD said at around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, firefighters were called to a structure fire at The Lookout at Broadmoor, in the 800 block of Oxford Lane near South 8th Street and Cheyenne Boulevard.

According to CSFD, the fire was under control five minutes after arrival, and thanks to quick action by firefighters, the fire was contained to the apartment’s balcony and did not spread to the inside of the building. No injuries were reported, and no one was displaced.

It was determined the fire was due to a lithium-ion battery in an electric scooter. CSFD said Lithium-ion batteries are in many devices, including smartphones, laptops, e-scooters, and e-bikes. When used improperly or damaged, they can overheat, catch fire, and, in some cases, explode.

In this particular fire, the owner did the right thing by charging the scooters outdoors, as the fire would have been significantly worse if they had been charged indoors, said CSFD.

CSFD recommends the following tips to keep yourself and your family safe:

Only use the battery and charger that is designed for the device.

Remove the device from the charger once it is fully charged.

Keep batteries at room temperature when possible. Do not charge batteries at temperatures below 32 degrees or above 105 degrees.

Store batteries away from anything that can catch fire.

CSFD said the following signs are of a lithium-ion battery problem:

The battery emits an odor

The battery changes color

A significant amount of heat is coming from the battery

The battery expands or changes shape

If you hear noises or hissing from the battery