Fire at Beverly Hills storage facility caused by use of power strip with lithium batteries

~ CCFR offers safety advice ~

Citrus County Fire Rescue (CCFR)

Beverly Hills, Florida – At 4:54 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, Citrus County Fire Rescue responded to Diamond Self Storage located at 4239 N. Modelwood Drive in Beverly Hills, due to a caller reporting that smoke and fire was coming from one of the storage units at the facility.

Pine Ridge Fire Station #20 arrived first on scene to find smoke showing from a row of eight storage units. Firefighters initiated an offensive attack using forcible entry tools to gain access to the affected units. During this process, an automatic fire sprinkler system activated, which helped fire crews quickly identify the storage unit where the fire originated, and control the spread of the fire.

Thanks to the effectiveness of the sprinkler system and rapid response by five Citrus County Fire Rescue units and two battalion chiefs, the fire was extinguished without incident. Crews remained on scene to perform overhaul and mop-up operations. The last unit cleared the scene at 6:51 p.m.

The fire investigation determined that the fire was an electrical fire involving a power strip and lithium-ion batteries, used for a pool vacuum. The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office was notified about the fire, as part of the standard post-incident review.

The estimated property loss is approximately $39,000.

Safety Message for the use of power stripes with lithium-ion batteries

Citrus County Fire Rescue reminds residents and business owners to use caution when using power strips and lithium-ion batteries:
• Avoid overloading power strips or plugging one into another (“daisy chaining” plugs).
• Never leave lithium batteries to charge unattended, especially near flammable items.
• Store lithium batteries in cool, dry areas, and use chargers specifically designed for the battery type.
• Ensure that commercial spaces are equipped with automatic sprinkler systems, which proved highly effective in this fire incident.

IN THE EVENT OF A FIRE, CALL 9-1-1.

Citrus County Fire Rescue Contact Information:
Business Office Location: 1520 N. Meadowcrest Blvd.. Crystal River, Florida 34429;
Non-Emergency Phone: (352) 527-5406.
Website: www.CitrusCountyFire.com
Social Media: x.com/CitrusCoFire and Facebook.com/CitrusCountyFireRescue.