BATON ROUGE - A local fire department in the capital area issued a warning to the public regarding the possibility of fires breaking out in golf carts due to battery issues within the vehicles.

One such fire occurred in The Country Club of Louisiana in late February.

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In a Monday (March 8) facebook post, The St. George Fire Department released the following message regarding the matter:

"Recently, the St. George Fire Protection District (SGFD) responded to a house fire which involved a golf cart charging in an attached garage. Fire investigators determined that the golf cart charging was involved in the origin and cause of the fire.

In recent years, golf carts have been involved in numerous fires across the nation. Most of the time, these fires are caused by the battery or the electrical elements of the cart. In some gasoline models, there is a chance that a fire may be caused by their operation; however, the batteries and their charging has been the most common cause of fires.

SGFD recommends the following guidance when charging an electric golf cart.

1. ALWAYS follow the manufacturer’s recommendation when charging any golf cart.

2. Use the charger provided by the manufacturer.

3. Charge the golf cart in a well-ventilated and shaded area.

4. Disconnect the charger when the golf cart has finished the charging cycle.

5. Do not charge the battery overnight or if there is no one home with the golf cart.

6. Ensure the charger is plugged into the proper electrical outlet. Some charging systems required a dedicated circuit. An electrician would be needed to add such if your home is not already wired with the dedicated circuit.

7. Regularly check the batteries for corrosion on the battery terminals. Clean as necessary.

8. For lead-acid batteries, regularly check the water level. Only use distilled water and do not overfill.

9. Install a carbon monoxide detector inside your home in the area closest to the garage or in your garage.

If your carbon monoxide alarm is sounding or you suspect something is wrong, immediately leave your home and call 911. Do not enter your home again until firefighters have cleared the home of hazards and confirm it is safe."

Click here for more information on St. George Fire Department.