Thank you, Jan, for alerting me to the potential danger of 9 volt batteries. If the batteries are packaged as they come from the store there is no problem. It's the loose batteries that you may toss in a drawer or your handbag that I'm talking about. The metal on the end of the 9 volt battery can start a fire. In fact, these batteries are applied to kindling wood in the outdoors to start a campfire. A man in Denver lost his home to fire, and almost lost his life, due to 9 volt batteries that were not stored properly. He had a habit of throwing old batteries in a basket, planning to recycle at a later date. The metal ends of the battery, when touching each other, can ignite. That's what happened to him, and his whole house blew up! If you do have batteries that have been opened, place electrical tape over the end to prevent this from happening. It's a simple step that may save your home and your life.
The following information is an advisory from the National Firemans Association that explains the problem in more detail:
9-volt batteries can be dangerous. The positive and negative posts are close together. If a metal object touches the two posts of a 9-volt battery, it can cause a short circuit. This can make enough heat to start a fire.
It is unsafe to store 9-volt batteries in a drawer near paper clips, coins, pens, or other batteries. Do not store common household items such as steel wool, aluminum foil, and keys near 9-volt batteries. If these items touch the two posts, there is a greater risk of a fire starting.
KKK Weak batteries may have enough charge to cause a fire. Some fires have started in trash when 9-volt batteries were thrown away with other metal items.
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