BY ADRIANA HERNANDEZ
Daily Post Correspondent
A downtown Mountain View bakery and cafe faces an estimated $100,000 in damages after a fire broke out this morning at 8:06 a.m.
The fire was caused by an unattended lithium-ion battery charging equipment at Maison Alyzee at 212 Castro Street, according to the fire department. The battery then caused a carbon dioxide cylinder in the room to explode.
The fire department responded to a 911 call at 8:06 a.m. reporting flames in the bakery. An employee evacuated the building before firefighters arrived, said fire department spokesman Robert Maitland.
The first engine arrived at 8:12 a.m., Maitland said. Firefighters found a sprinkler going off and smoke flowing out of the bakery.
Firefighters were able to quickly knock down the fire, which mostly affected the kitchen where the battery was charging, according to the department.
The Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health was notified and will work with Maison Alyzee management to rectify and reopen the facility. The restaurant will remain closed until the County Department of Environmental Health inspects and clears it.
Lithium-ion batteries overheating have caused other fires, such as a fire at the Tesla dealership in Palo Alto on Aug. 7, 2022, when a battery overheated and caused several others to catch on fire, Palo Alto fire officials said at the time.
Many common lithium-ion powered devices are phones, laptops, wireless headphones and tablets, which could also lead to dangerous incidents, according to the United States Fire Administration. Overcharging can lead to the battery overheating and releasing flammable gases.