Hundreds of thousands of Li-ion batteries are in use daily without incident but when they ‘fail’, it can be catastrophic causing a severe fire inception hazard due to their chemical composition which includes a flammable electrolyte.

Due to their nature, Li-ion batteries can pose a challenging fire risk particularly if they fail into thermal runaway as the resultant fire is difficult to extinguish.  Research is ongoing about methods to achieve adequate protection and, at best, suppression rather than extinguishing may be the only result to mitigate spread beyond the immediate seat of fire.

Our insurer partner AXA recently shared a Case Study regarding a Flat Fire.

Case Study

A third floor flat in a six storey building was destroyed by the fire. One man was rescued from the building by firefighters using a fire escape hood due to the toxicity of the fire. Around 30 people were evacuated from the building by the Metropolitan Police Service.

The fire is believed to have been accidental and caused by the catastrophic failure of a lithium battery pack for an e-bike that was on charge. Occupants of the flat where the fire started are believed to be takeaway delivery drivers, who used both electronic bikes and scooters for their employment and a number of Li-ion batteries were either stored or on charge.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said, “When charging your e-bike or e-scooter or the batteries for them, make sure you are using the correct charger. Mismatching the charger increases the risk of fire. It’s also important not to overcharge and to unplug the charger once it’s completed charging. Never charge an e-bike or e-scooter unattended or whilst you’re sleeping and don’t charge it on an escape route, such as in a hallway. Instead, charge or store the device outdoors or in a shed. If this is not possible, make sure the device is in a room where you can shut a door and contain a fire.

View AXA’s ‘Fire Risk Guidance: Lithium-ion Rechargeable Batteries’ practical guide here.