More than 400,000 wireless phone chargers recalled over fire hazard

More than Casely wireless phone chargers were recalled Thursday over concerns that they could pose a fire hazard bureaucrats disclosed Casely a company based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn received reports of lithium-ion batteries inside the power banks overheating expanding or catching fire while consumers were charging their phones causing at least six minor burn injuries the U S Consumer Product Safety Commission reported in a notice Consumers who purchased Casely Power Pods mAh portable MagSafe wireless phone chargers with model number E A are urged to stop using them right away and contact the company for a free replacement The roughly affected phone chargers have Casely engraved on the front and the model number on the back The pocket-size power banks were sold at getcasely com Amazon and other e-commerce websites from March to last September the commission reported Related Articles California legislator pushes for voter privacy in recall elections Segway recalls of its scooters due to a fall hazard that has resulted in injuries Tesla recalls Cybertrucks after steel trim pieces come loose California pet food maker recalls raw chicken meals that might carry bird flu Tesla recalling more than vehicles due to power steering issue The phone chargers should not be thrown in the trash or recycled in either the general recycling stream or the used-battery boxes commonly uncovered at retail and home improvement stores the commission announced That s because the recalled lithium-ion batteries which pose a greater fire liability than other batteries must be discarded differently Consumers can contact their local household hazardous waste collection center to see if it accepts recalled lithium-ion batteries If it does not the commission recommends contacting local municipal executives for more guidance Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable last a long time and store a lot of capacity in a small space These features have made them a staple in common devices including phones laptops toothbrushes power tools and electric vehicles However the batteries require safe handling because of their prospective to start fires The U S Fire Administration advises consumers to stop using lithium-ion batteries if they emit an odor put off too much heat leak make odd noises or change in color or shape Before purchasing products consumers should look for a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory stamp according to the fire administration This article originally appeared in The New York Times