Fire Safety with Lithium-ion Mobility Devices

by Austin Hollister, Fire Safety Specialist

The benefits of using an e-mobility device (E-Bike/ E-Scooter) include convenience, cost, and an exhilarating feeling! What is better than the wind in your face while your heart pumps as you navigate the city streets?

As fun as these devices may be, they include lithium-ion batteries, which have caused an uptick in fires nationwide. This article provides fire safety tips for buying, using, storing, and charging your device, what to do in the event of a fire at home and work, and how to remain safe.

As the rapid production of lithium-ion devices has spiked for consumer-based purchasing, it is essential to know if products have met a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory standard, as in Underwrites Laboratory (UL) or the equivalent. These rigid testing laboratories ensure that individual items are safe for the public to buy and use. This stamp of approval, principally the UL 2272 Requirements for Personal E-Mobility Devices standard, provides us with the utmost certainty that our safety is accounted for and a top priority.

Next, we want to make sure, when using, storing, and charging devices, we follow the manufacturer’s instructions and manuals that provide proper guidance regarding the limitations of the equipment. When physically riding an e-mobility device, we want to ensure that we are not becoming the modern “Evil Knievel” by jumping off sidewalks, hitting every pothole like a motocross rider, or going off-road and deviating away from pavement or smooth, compacted ground. Following these simple safe-riding guidelines can prevent physical damages that could occur around or in the device’s battery that may lead to a thermal runaway event. (Thermal runaway is a chemical reaction within the battery from internal or external damage that generates a large amount of heat that is greater than the surrounding area.)

Storing and charging your device go hand in hand, and when not in use, there is a chance that it needs a little extra juice to get you to your next destination. It has been reported that overcharging has started thermal runaways resulting in a fire. When not in use, we want to remember some key points to aid in our life safety and property conservation:

Store in an area that does not obstruct your means of egress that would directly impact you in the event of an emergency.
Do not charge unattended or while sleeping. An instantaneous event can happen and may delay your ability to evacuate quickly and safely.
Always use the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) charger and cord that comes with the original packaging, as this equipment is rated and provides the correct amperage to the device.

We can be conscientious about safety, but even following everything to a “T,” a thermal runaway could still occur. What can we do to prevent thermal runaway, or what do we do if the device or battery catches fire? Start with frequently checking the battery. Does the battery look damaged or changed in shape? Do we notice an unusual odor, odd noises, leaking, producing too much external heat, or visibly smoking?

If it is charging, can we safely unplug the device? Can we remove it to an outside location? If we notice these events and cannot intervene in a safe manner because it has caught on fire or the toxic fumes are rapidly coming out, then we must evacuate.

Close all doors between you and the device as you leave the area, floor, or building. If available, activate the building’s fire alarm system by utilizing the nearest manual pull station. Regardless of whether the building has a fire alarm system, call 911 and report that there is an electronic device with a lithium-ion battery on fire. The dispatcher will take this information and give it to the fire department while they are responding.

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