Casely, a company that makes phone cases and other mobile accessories, is again recalling its 5,000-mAh MagSafe Power Pods with the model number E33A, a year after an initial recall. The Power Pods, sold between March 2022 and September 2024, pose a serious risk of fire and burns and resulted in the death of a 75-year-old woman in 2024. 

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission said that since the initial recall in April 2025, an additional 28 incidents of overheating and fires have been reported, including one on a plane. Overall, it's estimated that as many as 429,200 of these Power Pods, manufactured in China, are potentially affected.

The Power Pods contain lithium-ion batteries, which can overheat and combust. Other companies, such as Anker, have had similar recalls in the last few years over portable battery products. 

Following numerous incidents of power banks and portable chargers overheating, Southwest Airlines has changed its policies and will implement restrictions on April 20. The airline is allowing customers to carry only one portable battery pack per flight and restricting where the pack can be stored and how it can be charged during the flight. 

Casely and the CPSC are asking those who still own the Power Pods to stop using them immediately and submit a claim for a free replacement at Casely's website. 

The science of why this keeps happening

Lithium-ion batteries, the kind used in the Casely power pods, are the most commonly used rechargeable battery type. They're used in phones, EVs, electric bikes and scooters, smartwatches, laptops, portable speakers, even toys and vaping devices. They became popular because they're cheap, energy-dense and have a fairly long lifecycle.

However, they can go wrong when they overheat and combust, and that can be caused by a number of factors. If they short-circuit, that can generate high temperatures and, when coupled with high pressure in some types of cells or devices, can even trigger an explosion.

Some of those precipitating factors include problems at the manufacturing stage, such as inconsistencies or imperfections in the cells' construction, especially if components are faulty or not reinforced. 

Burcu Gurkan, a professor of chemistry at Case Western Reserve University's Case School of Engineering, said that lithium-ion batteries have "several layers of complications" that can lead to problems. 

When, say, components in a lithium-ion cell come into contact because the separators are too thin or damaged, it can cause a short circuit and lead to overheating. The overheating can lead to combustion. 

"These batteries have flammable organic components such as carbonate electrolytes, and they can catch on fire in the presence of high temperatures," Gurkan said.

Solutions to overheating lithium-ion batteries

One way to avoid the danger of fiery batteries is to avoid products that have been recalled. You should also keep an eye on battery-powered devices when they're in potentially unsafe environments, such as airplanes or extreme climates. But some are hoping improved materials or entirely different types of batteries will help mitigate risks in the future.

Gurkan's research aims to eliminate hazardous materials from these and other types of batteries. Two of her research projects "have the common goal of developing alternative electrolytes that are not flammable."

The battery industry is interested in developing better predictive and diagnostic tools to prevent fires and explosions, Gurkan said.