Overview

• Security camera footage shared by the Chapel Hill Fire Department shows Colton chewing a battery-powered device before smoke and flames ignite a living room rug.
• Homeowner David Sasser, a CHFD firefighter, said a security-app alert sent him home quickly, and the damage was limited to smoke and a ruined rug.
• CHFD reported the battery had been charged and unplugged, was not under recall, and was improperly stored where the dog could access it.
• The dog was not injured, and the fire did not extend beyond the rug captured in the video.
• Fire authorities used the case to highlight rising battery-related incidents in the region, citing roughly a dozen fires in Raleigh over the past year and two Durham trash-truck fires linked to improper disposal.