Half of Vancouver 2022 fire deaths due to batteries: Vancouver Fire Rescue Services

The Vancouver Fire Rescue Services is warning locals to take better care of batteries, as the group says out of the 10 people who died in fires last year, five of those deaths were due to battery fires.

Matthew Trudeau with the service says this is a concerning statistic.

In 2022, there were 10 fire fatalities in the City of Vancouver, 5 of those deaths were the result of rechargeable batteries, including lithium ion batteries.
Don’t overcharge, modify or use damaged batteries. pic.twitter.com/r6pE31Xovz

— Vancouver Fire Rescue Services (@VanFireRescue) January 18, 2023

“This increase is a sharp increase over previous years, especially for our numbers and the frequency of fire calls relating to rechargeable batteries, and specifically Lithium-ion batteries,” he said.

Trudeau adds the increase in fires is likely due to more batteries being used in houses.

“Even if you look through your household, you can see a lot of electronics are using rechargeable batteries,” he said.

He explains that rechargeable batteries are “inherently safe,” but the group is reminding people about some of the “limitations and safety considerations around them.”

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Trudeau also says the fire service has seen more fires from batteries that have been modified and then charged, causing a higher risk of overheating and overcharging.

“It causes these batteries to go into a thermal runaway effect,” he said. They “release a lot of energy quickly, as well as toxic products of combustion and can explode, and cause significant fire throughout a suite, even from a small battery device.”

He says if a battery is damaged, don’t use it, and is asking people to be mindful of taking care of the batteries.

“If someone drops their battery and sees it damaged, we’re urging people to use an appropriate replacement, to really be mindful of charging them safely, and not overcharging the systems, of just not leaving them on for you know a few days not having them in direct sunlight or having them overheating from the environment around them.”