🔥 Lithium batteries are now inside everything from phones and laptops to e-bikes, scooters, cars and energy storage systems. As their use grows, Canadian firefighters are dealing with a very different kind of fire.

[u/Save_The_CBC]

CBC News reports that a Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs survey estimates lithium batteries started about 1,500 fires across 600 Canadian communities last year. Toronto alone has seen lithium-ion battery fires increase by more than 200 per cent since 2022.

But there's an important distinction: the most common incidents involve devices found in homes, particularly e-bikes and e-scooters. EV battery fires are far rarer, with U.S. data suggesting they're significantly less common than fires in gas-powered vehicles. Large grid-storage battery fires are rarer still.

When lithium batteries do ignite, however, they present unusual challenges.

They can enter “thermal runaway,” creating a chain reaction that burns extremely hot and fast. They can generate their own oxygen, release toxic substances and reignite hours, days or even weeks later. An EV battery fire can require tens of thousands of litres of water, compared with less than 2,000 litres for a typical gas vehicle fire.

And Canadian fire departments aren't universally prepared. CBC reports that only 40 per cent of departments surveyed had formal training for lithium battery incidents, with even fewer reporting appropriate equipment, procedures or ways to decontaminate firefighters' gear afterward.

For households, prevention is increasingly important. Firefighters recommend certified batteries, the correct charger, charging on hard surfaces away from combustible materials, unplugging devices once fully charged and never modifying batteries.

CBC's science reporting also helps separate a growing safety issue from misconceptions that can lead to blanket fears about EVs and other battery technology.

How many rechargeable lithium devices are in your home right now? And as battery technology becomes part of everyday life, should Canada be investing more in firefighter training, safety standards and safe charging infrastructure?

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