How one sheriff's office in Colorado is working to contain lithium battery fires
"Computers, laptops, pretty much anything, VR headsets, basically everything in our lives has digital stuff attached to it," said Boulder County Sheriff Sergeant Clay Leak.
Leak works at BCSO's Digital Forensics Lab. Part of their work is in an effort to crack dozens of phones in their evidence locker that are all charging, all the time.
"We've had a few batteries come in bulging, and that's one of the first concerns is, gosh, what if, you know, what if something happens to this?" Leak explained, "We don't want to burn the building down or destroy any of our evidence."
The worry comes from the risk of lithium battery fires. These fires have been reported in news stories in homes and on planes. The fires can happen if the battery powering our everyday tech gets damaged or overheats.
The FAA says it's happening on planes every week, and tech company Lithium Fire Guard is working to stop it.
Nick Dunbar is the Vice President of Sales for Lithium Fire Guard. The device is designed to surround the affected device and filter out any toxic fumes. There is then an area to pour water into the device to submerge the technology.
"We added the fire extinguisher, we added the ax, we added the defibrillator," Dunbar said, "I think that, and not very long, we're going to see this box sitting there."
Dunbar says this is the only single-state device to be certified for lithium battery containment.
"The batteries create their own oxygen, so you can't snuff these batteries out with a blanket," Dunbar said.
While the device was originally sold for aviation, this box is one of the latest purchases by the Boulder County Sheriff's Office.
"You can't put a price on being able to, you know, guarantee the safety of my examiners because of the toxic fumes that would come off during a battery fire, and then also the security and safety of the building," Leak said.
Right now fire guard says they're selling boxes to any industry that uses tech even beyond aviation and law enforcement.
"We've started selling to hotels," Dunbar said. "There was the Chromebook TikTok trend, where students were igniting their own Chromebook. And so we've had schools look at our product."
While the current Lithium Fire Guard product aims at containing fires, Dunbar says they plan to release more preventative measures later this year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cathie Wood Goes Bargain Hunting. 1 Dirt Cheap Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock With Monster Potential She Just Bought
Key Points Cathie Wood is known for making high-conviction bets on speculative stocks. Wood recently scooped up shares of Alphabet, despite a bearish narrative surrounding the company's ambitions in artificial intelligence (AI). A close look at Alphabet's financial picture suggests the company's AI pursuits are paying off in spades. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › Cathie Wood has earned a reputation on Wall Street for making high-conviction bets on emerging businesses seeking to disrupt legacy incumbents across industries such as technology, financial services, and pharmaceuticals. With that said, every now and again, Wood complements some of the more speculative positions in Ark's portfolio with well-established blue chip opportunities. When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) stocks, it should come as no surprise that Ark's portfolio includes several high-flying growth stocks such as Palantir Technologies, CrowdStrike, and CoreWeave. Also in the mix, however, are several members of the "Magnificent Seven." In late July, Ark added to an existing position in Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) -- scooping up 181,640 shares in the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF. Let's explore how Alphabet is investing in AI to transform its business. From there, I'll break down some financial and valuation trends to help illustrate why Alphabet stock looks like a no-brainer right now. Alphabet's business is in great shape Alphabet recently reported operating results for its second quarter, which ended June 30. The company's largest source of revenue -- advertising -- generated $71.3 billion in revenue, growing by 10% year over year. Advertising growth from Google Search and YouTube was even more robust, coming in at 12% and 13%, respectively. Over the last few years, skeptics on Wall Street have been parroting a bearish narrative that the rise of ChatGPT and other competing large language models (LLMs) will diminish Google's dominance in search. Accelerating growth between Google Search and YouTube suggests that advertisers still see a high return on investment (ROI) from these platforms, despite some shifts in how people are consuming content on the internet. Where investors may be getting nitpicky is around Alphabet's profit margin profile. The advertising segment sits under a larger category of Alphabet's business, called Google Services. During the second quarter, Google Services grew its revenue 12% year over year to $82.5 billion. However, the operating margin for the Services business remained flat year over year -- coming in at 40%. When expenses grow in line with revenue, profit margins become capped. On the surface, this may look like Alphabet is not running an efficient business despite an accelerating top line. I wouldn't rush to such a conclusion, though. Over the last few years, Alphabet has made a number of strategic investments to bolster its AI position. For starters, the company augmented its cloud infrastructure business by acquiring cybersecurity start-up, Wiz, for a reported $32 billion. On top of that, Alphabet's multibillion-dollar investments in AI data centers are often underappreciated -- and yet it's this infrastructure that attracted OpenAI, a perceived rival, as one of Google Cloud's new major partners. Lastly, Alphabet is also quietly building its own quantum computing operation through the development of its own custom chipsets, called Willow. Although monetizing quantum computing applications is still likely many years away, I find it encouraging that Alphabet is allocating capital across several pockets of the AI realm in an effort to build a diversified ecosystem that strengthens core businesses while opening the door to new opportunities as well. Is Alphabet stock a buy right now? The chart below benchmarks Alphabet against many of its big tech peers on a price-to-earnings (P/E) basis. Ultimately, I think Alphabet stock is being punished by investors because the company isn't posting growth as robust as some of its peers. In my eyes, the fact that the company continues to grow revenue from its core businesses while striking lucrative deals with rivals and maintaining its profit margin profile in the face of aggressive investments shows a high degree of resiliency from Alphabet. Given the disparity in valuation multiples illustrated above, I think that the bearish narrative appears to be fully baked into Alphabet stock at this point. To me, Alphabet is positioned for significant valuation expansion in the coming years as its infrastructure investments continue to bear fruit. I think Wood identified a rare opportunity among major AI players by identifying such a cheap stock floating around in a sea of frothy valuations. I see Alphabet stock as a no-brainer buying opportunity at its current price point for long-term investors. Should you invest $1,000 in Alphabet right now? Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Alphabet wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $653,427!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,119,863!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 4, 2025 Adam Spatacco has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, CrowdStrike, Microsoft, Nvidia, Oracle, and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Cathie Wood Goes Bargain Hunting. 1 Dirt Cheap Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock With Monster Potential She Just Bought was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Digital Trends
29 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
Best Buy's Apple Shopping Event: which M4 MacBook is the best buy for you?
Best Buy's Apple Shopping Event ends tomorrow, Sunday, August 10. The MacBook Air M4 is on sale and it's just what the doctor ordered for professionals and those going back to school. For two more days, you don't want to miss the Apple Shopping Event at Best Buy where you can get even more great Apple goodies. Since Apple deals en masse are so rare, it's certainly worth taking a look at everything the sales event has to offer. However, we've got two MacBook Air M4 deals that are seemingly identical we think you should look at. They both originally start at $1,199 and drop $200 to $999. But that's where the similarities stop. Tap the buttons below to see the laptops up close yourself or keep reading to see which one is right for you. Which MacBook Air M4 deal at $999 should you buy? Is the bigger laptop better? Not necessarily. The 15-inch version of the laptop has 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage while the 13-inch version has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. That means the real battle here is if you prefer screen space or storage space. If you have access to ample cloud storage and live with near constant access to WiFi, the 15-inch MacBook is likely better for you. That is, unless having a smaller laptop makes it easier to get out and about. If the 15-inch laptop is too big for your bag or purse (it comes out to being 13.4 inches wide side-to-side) then it's also not going to be that great for you. In that case, the 13-inch laptop is better for you. Anyone that needs access to storage outside of cloud storage, including people that want to have lots of apps running on their machine. Tap the button below to get the MacBook Air M4 of your dreams while the Best Buy Apple Shopping Event lasts. They're both marked down to $999 from $1,199, a savings of $200. Alternatively, split the difference between the two sizes and peruse our list of the best 14-inch laptops.
Digital Trends
29 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
My secret to improve your PC gaming performance for less? It's literally just air
When planning your next PC build, you're probably focused getting the best CPU and GPU combo. Maybe you're thinking about upgrading your storage speeds or RGB aesthetics. Case airflow? That takes a backseat… if it's even thought about at all. But how you move air through your case can dramatically impact your system's thermals, performance, acoustics, and even lifespan – and give you the gaming focus your heart desires. Recommended Videos In fact, case airflow is one of the few areas in PC building where you can make a noticeable impact without spending a whole lot of money. Whether you're trying to lower CPU temperatures by a few degrees or silence an aggressive GPU cooler, airflow is the foundation. Understanding how airflow works in a PC case In simple terms, airflow is the movement of air through your case from one side to the other. Cool air is drawn in from the front or bottom, and warm air is pushed out the top or rear. When done correctly, this creates a controlled stream of air that cools your CPU, GPU, VRMs, and even SSDs or RAM by directing airflow over them before the hot air is expelled. What's often misunderstood is how small changes in fan placement or orientation can disrupt or improve this flow. Think of airflow like a wind tunnel, you want it smooth, linear, and with minimal turbulence. Cables, cramped GPU spacing, and poorly placed fans all break that tunnel. In most situations, front-to-back airflow can be regarded as the gold standard. That means fans at the front pull in cold air, which is then pushed across your components and out through exhaust fans at the top and rear. However, this may change depending on the type and design of your PC cabinet. Positive vs. negative air pressure One of the most overlooked factors when cooling your components inside your PC case is air pressure. This refers to the balance between how much air enters versus how much exits the case. Positive pressure means there is more intake airflow than exhaust. This causes excess air to be pushed out through the gaps in the case, helping to keep dust from entering where it shouldn't. It's generally preferred for quieter, cleaner builds especially when all intake points are filtered. Negative pressure is where more air is being exhausted than brought in which tends to create stronger airflow through the case, but it also sucks dust in through unfiltered cracks and gaps. While potentially better for GPU thermals in some configurations, it can be noisier and dustier over time. Balanced or neutral pressure aims for a near 1:1 airflow ratio between intake and exhaust fans. This can be ideal for neutral thermals and consistent airflow but requires deliberate fan placement and matched fan speeds. Fan types and placement Most cases support 120mm or 140mm fans, but 80mm, 92mm, and even larger sizes exist. Consider your case's support for different sizes and prioritize larger sizes as they can move more air at lower speeds, which makes them quieter. However, placement is more important than size alone. Static pressure fans are ideal when blowing through resistance like dust filters or radiators. On the other hand, high airflow fans perform better in open areas, such as the rear or top of a mesh case. For the best effect, fans should be unobstructed. That means cables should be routed cleanly out of the airflow path, and radiators shouldn't block airflow from other components. As a rule of thumb, intake fans should be at the front or bottom, drawing in the coolest ambient air, while exhaust fans go at rear and top since hot air naturally rises. This ensures consistent thermal movement from front to back and bottom to top. It is important to note that this may not apply to every single PC case on the market, so it is recommended to follow the instructions given by the case manufacturer. To understand which side of your fan is intake and which one is exhaust, check for marked arrows on the fan's frame where one points to the airflow direction and the other shows blade rotation. If there are no arrows, the airflow almost always goes from the open fan blade side to the side with the support struts and hub, unless you are dealing with reverse flow fans. Case size and orientation The design and size of your PC case can heavily influence the airflow setup. A mid-tower ATX case, for example, typically benefits from two or three front intake fans, a rear exhaust fan, and possibly one or two top-mounted exhausts. In full-tower cases, you can add bottom intake fans or side-mounted fans to bring extra cooling to high-wattage GPUs. These larger cases also support more complex airflow patterns like vertical airflow (bottom-to-top) combined with front-to-back. For small form factor (SFF) builds like mini-ITX cases, airflow can be trickier. With limited space, every fan must be positioned carefully. Intake usually comes from side or bottom vents, and exhaust is often limited to one top or rear fan. In these cases, pressure balancing becomes harder, and static pressure fans are essential. Horizontal cases for home theater PCs (HTPC) like the Fractal Design Ridge (pictured above), or custom open bench designs flip expectations. Here, air may flow vertically or from left to right depending on the motherboard orientation. You'll need to evaluate cooling based on how hot air will naturally rise within the layout. Optimizing for noise and performance Good airflow isn't just about temperatures, it's also about noise. A cool PC runs quieter, as fans don't need to ramp up as aggressively. The trick is to move enough air without overworking your fans. Take out some time to understand and set up fan curves by heading to your BIOS or alternatively using your motherboard's dedicated software. You can even try Fan Control, a highly recommended open-source utility that offers a wide range of controls for almost every single fan in your PC. A well-tuned curve lets fans stay at low speeds during idle or light tasks and only ramp up under load. Larger fans help here, as they can deliver better airflow at lower RPMs. Avoid stacking fans redundantly. More fans don't always mean better airflow, sometimes, they add turbulence. Instead, focus on smooth, directed airflow from intake to exhaust. Test your system by logging CPU and GPU temperatures during idle, gaming, and stress testing and accordingly adjust fan speeds or placement if hotspots appear. Regular maintenance goes a long way Even the best airflow setup can fail if your fans are clogged with dust. Clean filters every month or two and remove dust from fan blades using compressed air or a cleaning brush. It is also recommended to replace the thermal paste on your CPU every 2-3 years, especially if your temps start creeping up over time. Check your fan orientations once in a while too, mistakes happen, especially when fans look identical from both sides.
