They are not much larger than a standard AA battery, but one faulty rechargeable lithium-ion battery can turn an entire house to rubble.
As the sales of cordless vacuums, e-bikes and scooters, laptops and power tools rise, so does the number of house fires.
It's something Jeff Nice never thought would happen to him — until a nasty incident in January this year.
"I never realised the extent of how dangerous lithium batteries could be if you're not proactive," he said.
Mr Nice had left an old e-bike battery charging in the garage of his home in Mandurah, south of Perth, only to wake to find the entire roof engulfed in flames.
"By the time we got out and over the gate, the roof was collapsing," he said.
"It just absolutely destroyed everything inside."
"As soon as I knew there was a fire in the garage, I knew exactly what it was. I certainly knew it was the battery."
It's a scene Peter Jones, Manager of the Fire Investigation and Analysis Unit at the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, is increasingly investigating.
The batteries have sparked between 50 to 60 structure fires in WA this year, and that figure is rising.
"There are many, many more that we haven't been able to prove are lithium-ion related but we suspect that they are," Mr Jones said.
When the battery faults or overheats, it can shoot debris 5-10 metres away.
Batteries release 'toxic' gases
"It's extremely difficult to put them out with water," Mr Jones said.
"Some of the gases given off are really quite toxic and explosive as well.
"People don't really understand the risk until they've been exposed to it firsthand unfortunately.
"It doesn't make sense that a battery can cause a fire that would affect your whole house."
Consumer Protection WA is trying to change that gap in knowledge, by issuing a "critical" warning to the public.
"Make sure you get the manufacturer's charger that comes with that device," Commissioner Gary Newcombe said.
"Do not leave devices charging overnight, particularly in the house or the garage."
Mr Newcombe said the batteries should be charged outside, away from flammable items and not in direct sunlight as they can overheat.
Christmas risk
Ahead of Christmas and amid a cost-of-living crisis, many parents will be looking online for second-hand electrical devices.
"Now that's a highly risky thing to do because a lot of those chargers come from overseas and they do not meet Australian standards," Mr Newcombe said.
"A bargain can be quite misleading … there's a real risk of fire and injury."
That was the reality for one family in Ellenbrook this week, after their home was gutted by a fire caused by two second-hand lithium-ion devices.
DFES investigation officer Mark Hayes said the devices, believed to be hoverboards, were not on charge when they went up in flames.
"Lithium-ion batteries don't need to be on charge in order to fail, they can fail at any time without notice," he said.
"I would recommend that people just be vigilant, considering the time of the year and how many of these potential e-rideables are going to be under the Christmas tree this year."
The loss of his home didn't deter Mr Nice from owning lithium-ion devices, and he has since bought two e-scooters.
"You can't be frightened of lithium batteries, the world is going lithium," he said.
"I certainly do a lot different as far as charging the batteries, they're all charged on a timer now, regardless of whether they shut off automatically or not.
"When you lose everything, nothing's worth risking it.
"We were lucky that we didn't lose our lives."
