Thanks for the heads up everyone. I'd like to add a story warning you that LiPos aren't even always safe in a state of rest. A fellow club member had one of his LiPo batteries burst at night after it had not been used for three weeks!
As far as my knowledge goes, the battery was neither under or overcharged when it went into storage and there were no prior signs that the battery might have been damaged. I do know he demands a lot of his batteries (the electronics he runs and his driving style) and that it was not a very new battery, but the fact that it happened makes it a statistic possibility.
It's probably a (way) less likely scenario that it happens with a LiPo in rest, but I would NEVER EVER recommend you to store your LiPos in the open or in a LiPo bag. I use an Ammo Box to store my batteries, you could also use a small safe of course.
Speaking of the LiPo fires themselves, Lithium is an alkali metal. It reacts heavily to water (especially as temperatures elevate), but it cannot burn without any oxygen. However, the batteries may contain oxide materials, and in a fire may supply themselves with (limited) amounts of oxygen.
Anyway, what's important to know is that water won't extinguish the fire (and may in fact fuel a stronger reaction), smothering helps but may not instantly stop the fire (because of oxides in the battery), and lowering the temperature will decrease the speed of the reaction. And of course lastly, if you can contain the fire inside something (an ammo box, safe or something else), you can give yourself time to get away or cool the container (to try and reduce the severity of the reaction).
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