What Is Causing The Rise In UK Lithium-Ion Battery Fires?

Lithium-ion batteries are used to power many devices and even vehicles in 2026. EVs, e-bikes, vapes and plenty of consumer electronics use lithium-ion batteries to provide their power.

However, research gathered by global insurer QBE has revealed that there are almost five fires per day in the UK caused by lithium-ion batteries. This is an increase of 147 per cent between 2022 and 2025.

The category that has seen the greatest increase, however, is e-bike fires. Blazes caused by lithium-ion batteries in ebikes have risen by 249 per cent in the same four-year period, with 520 such fires recorded last year.

Almost half of the e-bike fires reported were tackled by the London Fire Brigade. What’s more, when these incidents were investigated, converted or retrofitted e-bikes were more likely to be at the heart of the blaze than officially manufactured ebikes. 

This highlights the importance of only purchasing such pieces of equipment from reputable, certified dealers. However, the insurer also stressed that not charging devices like e-bikes overnight is sensible to avoid the risk of a fire breaking out. 

Of course, with more and more EVs on the UK’s roads, the number of fires in this mode of transport has also increased. 

However, although there was a 133 per cent increase in the number of EV blazes that fire brigades in the UK attended, the number of EVs on the country’s roads tripled in the same period of time. 

That doesn’t mean we should be complacent, but it does point to a strong safety record for EV lithium-ion batteries. 

 

What causes lithium-ion battery fires?

A fire in any lithium-ion battery, whether in an EV or a mobile phone, is caused by a process known as thermal runaway. 

This is when a battery, often one that has been damaged, starts to heat irreversibly. This can also occur when the battery overheats while in use or when it is overcharged. 

When a lithium-ion battery reaches a certain temperature, its internal components start to react with one another, which is what causes thermal runaway and starts the fire. The challenge is that these kinds of fires often spread faster and are harder to put out than fires started by other causes. 

 

How are lithium-ion battery fires tackled? 

Research suggests that water is the best way to suppress a lithium-ion battery fire. Provided enough water is used on the battery and for long enough, it is able to sufficiently cool the battery pack to prevent thermal runaway from continuing. 

There are also some specific fire extinguishers available that are designed to work on small lithium-ion battery fires, as well as specially designed fire blankets that can be used to contain small-scale blazes. 

In any case, the aim is always to cool the components as rapidly as possible, while depleting the oxygen available to continue to fuel the fire and chemical reaction. 

 

What else can be done to prevent lithium-ion battery fires?

The most important step we can all take is to ensure that we only use lithium-ion batteries and chargers from reputable suppliers and manufacturers. It’s also important to regularly check devices for any signs of damage and stop using them if you notice any issues.

Keeping your lithium-ion batteries and the devices they are found in cool, dry and away from any areas that experience high humidity is also recommended to lower the chances of a fire breaking out. 

Making sure you dispose of any lithium-ion batteries responsibly is also essential. That often means taking them to retailers with dedicated battery recycling schemes. 

It is dangerous to dispose of such batteries in regular recycling or rubbish bins, because they can cause fires both in the rubbish truck or at the waste disposal site. 

Meanwhile, on a broader scale, the government introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Act earlier this year to enable it to bring in more stringent regulations to protect consumers from unsafe products. 

This has been prompted, in part, by the rise in the number of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries. The new law will give the government the power to do more to shut down online sites selling unsafe products, as well as to close loopholes in current regulations. 

Battery manufacturers, meanwhile, will be watching the new regulations closely to ensure they are able to keep up with any new safety features the government requires. 

This requires consistent access to the chemicals required for such batteries’ manufacture, along with reliable toll processing services to ensure the raw materials are provided in a form that’s usable for this particular application.