COEUR D’ ALENE, Idaho — Fire investigators determined the cause of the fire that completely destroyed a Coeur d’Alene police building earlier this month.
According to the Idaho Department of Insurance (IDI), investigators determined that the cause of the blaze was a “catastrophic failure” of a lithium-ion battery pack charging an e-bike. IDI said an officer had used the bike the evening before the fire.
“This was a difficult, multi-day investigation,” said State Fire Marshal Knute Sandahl. “There were many complex aspects of the fire that needed to be sorted out.” The building not only housed equipment of the police department, but also a large amount of computer equipment. Several police vehicles were destroyed, including police motorcycles.
Officers assigned to bike patrol received training on e-bikes and proper charging. The investigation showed the vehicle was properly plugged into an outlet, and there was no evidence of misuse or prior damage.
“This was an unfortunate and unexpected failure that caused the fire and is being ruled an accident,” said Sandahl. A forensic analysis will be conducted by the city’s insurance company, but the results will not be known for several months. “This is pretty typical for an insurance company because the failed product is so new, and the loss is so great,” Sandahl said.
The Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department investigated this incident.
