Trending
In recognition of Fire Prevention Week, running from Oct. 4-10, the Marshalltown Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association to promote this year’s official national safety campaign: "Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging Is a Superpower."
As modern households fill with everyday electronics--including smartphones, laptops, power tools, e-bikes and scooters--the risk of dangerous lithium-ion battery fires has significantly increased. This year’s NFPA campaign focuses on the small, critical daily charging habits that can prevent severe electrical fires.
To protect local families, the Marshalltown Fire Department urges residents to implement the NFPA’s core safe charging protocols:
• Avoid Imitation Equipment: Only use the cord and charging adapter that originally came with your electronic device, or a replacement explicitly approved by the manufacturer.
• Ditch Soft Surfaces: Never charge phones or tablets on beds, pillows, couches or blankets. Always place charging electronics on a hard, flat, stable surface like a table, desk or uncarpeted floor.
• Unplug Post-Charge: Disconnect devices from the outlet as soon as they reach a full charge rather than leaving them plugged in indefinitely.
• Watch for Warning Signs: Immediately stop using any device or battery if it feels excessively hot, begins to swell, leaks, smokes, smells strange or emits hissing sounds.
• Keep Exits Clear: Charge larger e-mobility devices, such as e-bikes or electric scooters, outside or in designated areas where they do not block main paths or home exits.
Fall Open Burning Regulations Re-Emphasized
Concurrently with indoor appliance safety, city fire officials are reminding community members to strictly abide by the local codes governing outdoor yard cleanup. Marshalltown's official fall open burning window opened on Oct. 1 and remains active through Nov. 30. Single-family homeowners are allowed to burn plant materials grown directly on the immediate premises under strict legal guidelines:
• Hours & Materials: Legal burning is restricted to single-family properties between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily. Burning household trash, plastic, treated wood or garbage is strictly prohibited.
• Safety Distance: Open piles must be at least 50 feet away from any structure. Enclosed containers or burn barrels fitted with a secure mesh cover to stop flying embers must be positioned at least 15 feet away from structures.
• Weather Triggers: Outdoor burning is completely forbidden if wind speeds exceed 15 mph or during periods of extended dry, hazardous atmospheric conditions.
• Active Supervision: Fires must be supervised at all times by a competent adult equipped with an active garden hose or fire extinguisher. Piles must be entirely extinguished before being left unattended and must be fully put out by the 7 p.m. deadline.
Violating these municipal burning protocols directly threatens local safety and will result in strict citations, with municipal fines starting at $110 for a first offense.
“Fire Prevention Week is the perfect prompt to evaluate risks both inside and outside your home,” said Marshalltown fire officials. “Practicing safe charging superpowers indoors, while respecting wind limits and distance rules outdoors, ensures our entire community remains secure this fall.”