A hot potato: Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries found in modern electronics are causing major headaches for firefighters in the UK. According to data from business insurer QBE shared by The Guardian, fire departments in the region responded to 1,760 calls involving lithium-ion batteries in 2025. That works out to roughly 4.8 fires per day, and is up 147% compared to the previous three years.
Electric bikes were responsible for nearly a third of all calls – 520, to be exact – in the UK last year. Unsurprisingly, retrofitted models were involved in more incidents compared to those that shipped with batteries from the factory. For comparison, there were only 149 calls for ebike fires in 2022.
Electric vehicle fires shot up 133% over the past three years, which isn't all that surprising considering the number of EVs on UK roadways tripled during that period.
Even more alarming is the fact that nearly half of all lithium-ion battery fires in the UK last year occurred in people's homes. Virtually every modern electronic gadget – from smartphones and toys to vapes and electric toothbrushes – uses lithium-ion batteries. When damaged, faulty, or used incorrectly, it can lead to a phenomenon known as thermal runaway in which the temperature of the battery rises uncontrollably and starts a fire.
And not just any fire. Lithium-ion battery fires burn differently, said Adrian Simmonds, a risk manager at QBE. They are much more difficult to put out and can take up to 10 times more water to contain, he added. "Awareness of safe charging, storage and disposal is essential to keeping people and property safe," Simmonds noted. Sadly, five people have died in the region from lithium-ion battery fires in the past three years.
London fire brigade deputy commissioner for prevention, Spencer Sutcliff, believes regulation can help improve product safety by limiting counterfeit or faulty products that are often sold online.
Fortunately, the Nation Fire Chiefs Council is working with local first responders, governments, and partners to improve public awareness as well as guidance and research. But even still, regulation and guidance may not be enough to keep up with the rapid advances in technology that are putting batteries everywhere.