A mobile phone connected to the network which was on a sofa was the cause of the fire which broke out on Sunday in a house in Guillena (Seville), which left four dead: a couple and their two children, aged 16 and 20. .
This follows from the result of the investigation carried out by the firefighters of the Civil Guard area, which concluded that the cause of the fire was the explosion and combustion of the battery of a cell phone that was charging at the bottom of the accommodation. , placed on a sofa, as reported this Monday by La Benemérita after having had the first official conclusions of the field work.
Investigators located the start of the fire on a couch in the living room, where the remains of a cell phone that had exploded while charging had also been placed on a couch.
In this case, three factors came together: that the battery collapsed, that it was on the ground floor, so the combustion tended to go up to the upper floor, and that it was on a sofa, which immediately caught fire and acted as a fire dispersing element.
It all turned into a real storm, so the flames hadn’t fully spread when the couple’s eldest son returned home after spending the night at the town fair. He quickly entered the house and went upstairs, but a few seconds later the fire already covered the entire room and none of the four could save their lives.
A chemical reaction in the battery
In this sense, the fire sergeant of the Provincial Delegation of Seville, whose parks participated in this event, Manuel Blanco, explained that the combustion occurred as a result of charging a battery “which is normally lithium”, and which works “by transforming chemical energy”. in electrical energy”, in a process that does not necessarily have to be problematic, but which must be taken into account so that, as in this case, problems do not arise due to overheating.
And the fact is that “a chemical reaction must occur for the device to work”, but in this case “an uncontrolled reaction” occurred, but he further points out that, among other things, the advice must be respected. the manufacturer about the charging time: “If the mobile charges in five hours, you should not leave it plugged in all night. »
However, Blanco stressed that an explosion like the one that caused the Guillena fire “is not caused by misuse for a single day”, and he calls for being very careful with this type of devices in their giving a useful life without problems.
Uncontrolled gases
Essentially, the explosion occurs because “there are flammable gases inside the battery, and the battery bursts due to the increased pressure”, causing not only “fragment projection”, but also a fire which, if there is an element. which favors the spread – in this case the sofa – is already out of control.
Manuel Blanco recalls that there can be many reasons that cause the explosion, such as “a manufacturing defect, defective batteries, a battery change that does not respect the quality of the product, or a violent blow that damages the cells internal. “The battery has cells that separate the anode and cathode into small panels.
These separators can break under a strong blow, and when they break, this chemical reaction is uncontrolled and a breakdown occurs,” explains this expert.
But, furthermore, it can be considered normal for a battery to heat up when charging, but this must be monitored. “It can burn, bulge, the pressure builds and the gases can’t escape. If the battery is touched, the problem occurs.
Even if some events are unpredictable, remember that it is important, for example, that accessories such as the charger are original or of the highest quality, in order to avoid voltage compatibility issues that could damage the battery.
Tribute to El Ronquillo
The Rendón family, who died in this event, was well known in various regions of the province. The mayor, Lorenzo Medina, explains that he was dedicated to selling fruit, supplying neighboring towns like Castilblanco and El Ronquillo.
In the latter town, around 300 people gathered this Monday in front of the fruit shop they had run for several years, as a sign of mourning and tribute.
The city’s Christian Hernández Municipal Pavilion hosted the wake and funeral this Monday, with a massive crowd of people coming to say a final goodbye to this family.
The funeral mass was attended by around 2,500 people and the auxiliary bishop of Seville, Teodoro León, presided over the ceremony, alongside the parish priests of Guillena-Las Pajanosas, the district of Torre de la Reina and El Ronquillo. . The procession of hearses moved the coffins to the Plaza de España, from where they were carried on the shoulders of the family and friends of the deceased to the municipal cemetery of Guillena. The mayor expressed the “deep shock” that the municipality is experiencing because of this tragedy. Dismay and pain have been the dominant tone in recent hours in the city.
