From a national press photographer. I quote: A warning to all ! I decided to give a aftermarket 1d battery a chance, I purchased a powermart dcn009 from e.bay upon it's 3 rd charge, I was out, on return smoke was coming from under my roof line hurrying in to investigate I found my bedroom filled with thick acrid smoke, dashing in, bravery and stupidity, I noticed the cheap battery had melted and caught fire ! Unable to breath I ran down stairs. I turned around to a hand on my shoulder, it was the fire brigade, the neighbour had called on viewing the smoke, boy were they quick, they moved so fast it seemed I was in slow motion. Within seconds they were wearing breathing apparatus and pulling a hose real, revving up the pump, hydrant up, road blocked !!! OH NO... out they returned with the battery sizzling in a bucket which they filled with water once outside, luckily it had only torched the wood flooring and charger. A small soaking of my room floor later and a big fan in my house door...every nosey parker in the area...embarssment... the fire officer said it was seconds, or minutes at the most, from a full house fire. and they have taken the battery for disposal as it is leaking acid. How lucky was I ? A 25 battery, 1 knackered charger, 1 area of burnt flooring, curtains and bedding to throw out, stinks of smoke, 2 fire engines, 1 fire officer busy, could be saving someones life ! All because of my stupidity in saving 40 on a extra battery. Be warned ! Cheap disaster in a jiffy bag !

And every one said, 'If we only live,
We too will go to sea in a Sieve,---
To the hills of the Chankly Bore!'
Far and few, far and few, Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue, And they went to sea in a Sieve.

Edward Lear
http://www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/ns/jumblies.html

You are lucky Richard. I have one battery that is from a good source,all the rest are Nikon ones.I learned long time ago withpower tools it does not pay to have cheapo accesories.Never a fire, but loss of use on a tool is money out of pocket. Glad you are ok.

"The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions."

Wish I had the ID to be buying the battery for Doug ! I suspect that sellers within US & Canada are probably governed by similar laws as European ones. The problem arises when buying from countries that have less strict laws and regulations. The battery should have had a thermal cutout built into it to meet with European regulations but was bought from a seller in Hong Kong, China.

And every one said, 'If we only live,
We too will go to sea in a Sieve,---
To the hills of the Chankly Bore!'
Far and few, far and few, Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue, And they went to sea in a Sieve.

Edward Lear
http://www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/ns/jumblies.html

Funny, how warning labels and warnings of all sorts are "taken for granted". Your story catches true attention.