Firefighters urge safety after lithium-ion batteries cause of two fires last month

By BRENDAN MILLER on June 5, 2025.

bmiller@medicinehatnews.com

Fires and explosions caused by lithium-ion batteries that can be found in smart devices, scooters, electric cars, electronic vapes, power tools and scooters are becoming more frequent calls local firefighters are responding to after reporting two fires caused by unsafe battery use and storage in May.

Last month Medicine Hat Fire and Emergency Services responded to 24 outdoor fire calls as well as seven structure fire calls, with two of those caused by lithium-ion batteries.

The fire hazard posed by these batteries occurs when they are disposed of incorrectly, or when they overheat while in use.

In one incident that led to significant damage in a residential garage, Kelli Ireland, fire and life safety educator, says the homeowners did the right thing by storing their soon -to-be-recycled lithium-ion batteries in a plastic container in the garage, however a fire sparked when open battery terminals made physical contact with each other.

“They were recycling them in their garage, in a plastic container, which is the correct way to do it, in a plastic or cardboard container, but what they weren’t doing was wrapping the batteries in electrical tape,” explains Ireland. “So when the terminals of the batteries touched, they sparked, and when they sparked, it caused combustion with some of the nearby material,” leading to extensive damage.

Firefighters recommend wrapping batteries with electrical tape on the positive and negative conductors to prevent any contact when placing them aside for recycling.

“Make sure it’s not near anything that could easily catch fire, if it’s sitting on a shelf, make sure there’s no drapes or paper or other cardboard that is sitting near it. If it’s in an open space, it’s less likely to catch fire to something else and then carry on and continue to grow,” says Ireland.

The second incident in May occurred when a fire started in a home after the homeowner fell asleep with a vape pen underneath their pillow.

“What happened recently to somebody in our community, they woke up basically with a campfire in their bed because of this electronic device,” details Ireland, who says its important to charge any devices that use lithium-ion batteries on hard flat surfaces in the open.

“Because if they’re sitting underneath a pillow or blankets and they get really hot, especially if you’re charging them and they can’t dissipate heat, they can, in fact, start that bed sheet or pillow on fire.”

Ireland cautions against the use of batteries that are damaged or swelling, as its a sign those batteries are unable to dissipate the heat within safely.

“If you do see a damaged battery, if you drop it and you notice that it’s swelling or it’s overheating and it’s cracked, you should stop using it right away.

“These cells within the battery, they can’t dissipate heat because they’re enclosed within a battery casing and when they can’t dissipate heat, it’s almost like a domino effect, and that’s called thermal runaway,” explains Ireland.

“This is where one cell will release its heat to the next cell and then the next cell and then the next cell, and then all of a sudden, you have this explosion. In a phone it’s a lot smaller of an explosion, but if you have a car or you have a scooter, you’re going to have a massive explosion that is going to be very deadly.”

For a visual reference local firefighters have shared a video of explosions caused by the overheating of batteries to its Facebook page.

“The scooter in that video was in an apartment, and so when that scooter explodes, you would have less than one minute to escape your home, because it’s so dramatic, it has such a dramatic impact.”

Ireland also reminds residents to check if their electronics are certified and recognized in Canada as safe products, citing some products from online retailers like Amazon may contain batteries that have not undergone safety testing.

“There’s a few (logos on products) that are recognized in Canada and that tells us that the product has been tested, has been put through rigorous security and safety checks and actually fits within Canadian standards … If you’re buying online and it’s got no marking, likely that has not been a tested product,” says Ireland.

Additionally in the month of May local firefighters responded to 52 medical calls and 21 motor vehicle accidents. First responders also received 22 calls related to Carbon Monoxide and other gases and responded to 52 fire alarms.

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