GTA fire services seeing rise in lithium-ion battery fires

Fire services in the GTA are warning there's been an increase this year in the number of lithium-ion battery fires connected to e-bikes and e-scooters.

Fire services in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area are warning residents about an increase in fires caused by a common item in our homes: lithium-ion batteries.

While the batteries can be found in many common household devices, many of these fires recently appear to be connected to e-bikes and e-scooters.

Toronto Fire Services (TFS) said there were 90 lithium-ion battery fires in Toronto last year, and there were already 11 of them this past January.

“We are absolutely seeing an increase year-over-year,” said Marla Friebe, Division Chief of Public Education with Toronto Fire Services.

Of the 11 fires, five of them had to do with micro-mobility devices such as e-bikes and e-scooters.

“With micro-mobility devices, we often see users tampering with batteries trying to increase their length of power or increase the speed that the e-bike or hoverboard can actually travel at,” said Friebe.

• READ MORE: Toronto councillor, fire chief want regulations increased for lithium-ion batteries

The average home could have as many as 40 lithium-ion batteries in everything from electric toothbrushes to rechargeable power tools. Most of these batteries are considered safe. However, if they are tampered with, they could become a dangerous fire hazard.

According to Central York Fire Services, many of these fires have been caused by charging devices in garages.

“We have also seen an increase in lithium battery fires,” said Ryan Schell, fire prevention officer with Central York Fire Services. “80 per cent of those fires have been residential garage fires involving batteries.”

When lithium-ion batteries fail, they may begin to smoke, hiss and expand. Once they enter something called “thermal runaway,” it can explode, releasing toxic smoke and chemicals, and reach temperatures of 400 C.

Aviva Canada issued a warning about a spike in lithium-ion battery fires after it said there was a 162 per cent increase in Toronto of these incidents over the past two years.

“When they do overheat, they can reach a critical mass and start a process where they then cause fires. They smoke, they can explode, and the fire burns very, very hot and can spread very quickly,” said James South with Aviva Canada.

To avoid these types of fires, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and only use batteries designed for the device and charging cords that came with the product. Store batteries away from flammable items and avoid excessive charging. Also, never tamper with a battery, using only replacements recommended by the manufacturer, not cheap knock-offs.

Don’t allow batteries to charge overnight. When charging your smartphone, TFS also recommends not charging your phone on a soft surface, under your bed, or on pillow covers.

“You need to charge your device on a hard surface, not like a soft mattress or pillow,” said Friebe.

It’s also recommended to safely dispose of old or damaged batteries at municipal recycling centres.

The Central York Fire Services also recommends installing a heat alarm in your garage, as they said it is the second most common area for fires to start in homes.