6 risky battery charging mistakes (and what to do in case of fire)

A mobile phone battery stores enormous amounts of energy in a very small space. As long as everything is working properly, we don’t notice anything. But a technical defect or incorrect handling can trigger a chain reaction — known as thermal runaway. This causes the battery to fuel itself with energy until it bursts into flames or ruptures under intense pressure. What makes this particularly dangerous is that battery fires often start silently and produce extremely toxic fumes that can attack the lungs and nervous system.