Lithium-ion battery fires are increasing sharply across the UK and internationally. Fire services report rising incident numbers as battery-powered devices become embedded in homes, workplaces, and industry. London Fire Brigade alone responded to more than 150 e-bike and e-scooter fires in 2023. Across major UK cities, the same trend continues with no clear sign of slowing.
The issue is not simply the number of batteries in use. The real problem is that safety awareness has not kept pace with adoption. Cheap, uncertified batteries sold online often lack essential safety controls. Counterfeit chargers also continue to circulate widely and can keep supplying power long after a battery should stop charging. Many users still do not understand how lithium-ion batteries fail or why these fires behave differently from conventional electrical incidents.
Even in Glasgow, the consequences have become visible. The Union Street fire in March 2026 started in a vape shop and destroyed the historic Union Corner building. The fire displaced dozens of businesses and left safety cordons in place for months while engineers stabilised structural damage. Although investigations remain ongoing, the incident highlights a broader reality. Lithium-ion battery fires are no longer rare or isolated events. They now occur in everyday commercial spaces, homes, and workplaces that were never designed with this type of risk in mind.
Why E-Bikes and E-Scooters Have Become a Major Risk
E-bikes and e-scooters have transformed urban transport. They offer an affordable and flexible option for commuters, delivery riders, and recreational users. However, rapid demand has created a market where safety is often sacrificed to reduce cost.
Reputable manufacturers design e-bike batteries with multiple layers of protection. These typically include thermal monitoring systems, overcharge protection circuits, high-quality cells, and robust casings that limit the impact of internal faults.
Lower-cost batteries often remove or weaken these safeguards. They may still perform normally during everyday use, but they become far more vulnerable to failure when stressed. Risk increases when users charge them with non-original chargers, expose them to repeated impact, or continue using them as they degrade over time.
Chargers play a critical role in this risk. A genuine charger regulates current, monitors temperature, and shuts down when faults occur. A counterfeit charger does none of this reliably. Instead, it may continue pushing uncontrolled current into a battery, which can lead to overheating and thermal runaway. The problem is compounded by the fact that counterfeit chargers often look almost identical to genuine products.
Battery Fire Risks Beyond E-Bikes
Lithium-ion batteries now power a vast range of everyday devices. These include mobile phones, laptops, power tools, power banks, household appliances, and children’s toys. Individual device risk remains relatively low when products are well made and properly used. However, overall incident rates continue to rise due to scale.
Commercial environments face higher exposure. Vape shops, electronics retailers, phone repair stores, and warehouses storing used devices often contain large concentrations of lithium-ion batteries in confined areas. This changes the risk profile significantly.
When a single battery enters thermal runaway, heat can spread rapidly to nearby devices. This can escalate a localised failure into a large multi-device fire within minutes.
Investigators also continue to identify physical damage as a key factor in battery failure. Dropping a device, crushing a power bank, or damaging a casing during repair can create internal faults that are not visible externally. Many devices continue to operate normally after damage occurs, which creates a false sense of safety.
The risk often becomes critical later when the damaged battery is charged. Internal faults can then escalate rapidly into thermal runaway, often while the device is left unattended.
Why Lithium-Ion Battery Fires Matter at Sea
The maritime sector operates in a very different environment from land-based buildings, but the battery risks remain the same. Modern vessels rely heavily on lithium-ion technology, both for operational equipment and personal devices.
Crew members routinely bring onboard electronics, power tools, and in some cases personal electric transport devices. Ferry operators transport electric vehicles on enclosed decks. Superyachts store battery-powered water toys and diving equipment. Offshore installations rely on rechargeable tools across daily operations.
The technology does not change in these environments. However, the consequences of failure can increase significantly.
Confined Spaces Increase Fire Severity
Maritime environments introduce constraints that amplify fire risk. Crew accommodation, storage rooms, and vehicle decks often provide limited escape routes. Firefighting access can also be restricted by layout and equipment positioning.
Smoke can spread quickly through ventilation systems. Heat and toxic gases produced during thermal runaway can affect multiple compartments in a short time.
A battery fire that may remain contained in a warehouse can escalate far more quickly on board a vessel. Crew may have fewer evacuation options, and response times may be longer due to access limitations.
The underlying behaviour of lithium-ion fires does not change. However, the environment can significantly influence outcome severity.
Why Traditional Fire Training Needs Updating
STCW fire training remains essential for maritime safety. It effectively covers fuel fires, galley incidents, and conventional electrical faults.
However, these programmes were developed before lithium-ion batteries became widespread in maritime operations. As a result, they often provide limited coverage of thermal runaway behaviour.
Battery fires behave differently from traditional fires. They generate internal oxygen, which allows combustion to continue even when external oxygen is limited. They may also re-ignite after initial suppression, which requires extended monitoring.
This does not reduce the value of existing training. Instead, it highlights the need to supplement it with specific knowledge about lithium-ion risks as the technology becomes more common onboard vessels.
Recognising the Warning Signs
Lithium-ion batteries often show early signs of failure. Identifying these signs early can prevent escalation.
Warning indicators include:
- Swelling or bulging of the casing
- Excessive heat during charging or use
- Hissing, popping, or unusual sounds
- Strong chemical odours
- Visible damage such as dents, punctures, or scorch marks
Any battery showing these signs should be removed from service immediately. It should be isolated in a safe, ventilated area away from combustible materials and disposed of through approved channels.
Do not attempt to recharge or reuse a damaged battery. Early action significantly reduces the risk of thermal runaway.
Battery Fire Awareness Training for Maritime Professionals
At Stream Marine Training, we developed our Battery Fire Awareness course to address lithium-ion risks in maritime environments.
The course explains how battery fires start and why they behave differently from conventional fires. It also covers how to identify early warning signs and how to respond safely in the event of an incident. A key focus is understanding re-ignition risk and the need for ongoing monitoring after suppression.
This training is designed to complement existing STCW fire safety programmes. It does not replace them. Instead, it adds specific knowledge that reflects the reality of modern onboard technology.
Lithium-ion battery use continues to grow across ferries, superyachts, cargo vessels, and offshore installations. As it does, understanding how to manage these risks becomes increasingly important for maritime safety.
For more information on our Battery Fire Awareness course or to discuss training requirements, contact our team:
Phone: +44 (0)141 212 8777
Email: bookings@streammarinetraining.com
Website: streammarinetraining.com
FAQs
Why are lithium-ion battery fires increasing?
The rapid adoption of battery-powered devices, particularly e-bikes and e-scooters with cheap uncertified batteries, combined with counterfeit chargers, physical damage to batteries and lack of safety awareness has driven significant increases in fire incidents across the UK and internationally.
What makes lithium-ion battery fires different from traditional fires?
Once thermal runaway begins, the battery generates both fuel and oxygen internally through chemical decomposition, meaning the fire continues even when external oxygen is removed. They burn at extreme temperatures, produce toxic gases and can reignite hours or days after apparent suppression.
Are cheap e-bike batteries dangerous?
Cheap batteries from unregulated suppliers often lack critical safety components including thermal monitoring, overcharge protection and quality cells, making them significantly more prone to catastrophic failure than batteries from reputable manufacturers.
What are the warning signs of a failing battery?
Warning signs include swelling or bulging of the battery casing, unusual heat during charging, hissing or popping sounds, strong chemical odours and visible damage such as dents or punctures. Any battery showing these signs should be removed from service immediately.
Why do battery fires keep reigniting?
Internal chemical reactions can continue even after visible flames are extinguished, gradually building heat until the battery enters thermal runaway again. This can occur hours or days after the initial fire.
Are battery fires a risk on vessels?
The same batteries causing fires in commercial premises and homes are present throughout maritime environments in crew personal devices, power tools, electric vehicles on ferries and battery-powered equipment. Maritime’s confined spaces make these fires particularly serious.
Does STCW training cover battery fires?
STCW fire safety training was developed before lithium-ion batteries became widespread and focuses on fuel fires, galley fires and conventional electrical fires. Specialist battery fire awareness training addresses the specific risks that traditional training does not typically cover.
What should I do if I see battery warning signs?
Remove the battery from service immediately, isolate it from other equipment in a well-ventilated area away from combustible materials and arrange proper disposal through appropriate channels. Do not attempt to charge or use the battery further.
Where can maritime professionals get battery fire training?
Stream Marine Training delivers Battery Fire Awareness courses specifically designed for maritime professionals. The course covers how lithium-ion fires behave, warning signs to recognise and appropriate response actions. Visit streammarinetraining.com or call +44 (0)141 212 8777 for information.
