Toronto surpasses record for lithium-ion battery fires with 97 so far this year
Capt. Deepak Chagger said the service has dealt with 97 lithium-ion battery incidents so far this year. By the end of last year, 91 lithium-ion fires were logged.
Toronto Fire Services reported that there have been 97 lithium-ion battery fires so far this year, surpassing the previous record of 91 fires set last year. The incidents have been ongoing throughout the year, with a particularly significant incident occurring on August 12, where crews responded to three e-bike battery fires, including one that escalated to a two-alarm response level.
One of these fires happened in a fourth-floor apartment building, where a tenant threw a damaged e-bike battery into a bathtub, resulting in injuries to four people and the hospitalization of one individual with non-life-threatening injuries. The fire chief, Jim Jessop, has been issuing warnings about the increasing risk of lithium-ion battery fires, calling for regulatory changes to address the issue.
The batteries, which power devices like e-bikes, e-scooters, and e-hoverboards, have caused two fires at a recycling facility on May 21, when they were in a thermal runaway state, leading to combustion. Fire officials stress that lithium-ion batteries are generally safe, but can become dangerous if damaged, tampered with, or improperly charged.
To ensure safety, people should look for signs such as unusual odors, smoke, and extreme heat, and dispose of damaged batteries properly at approved disposal sites.
Written by urgent.news from Global News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
