As the festive season approaches, homes across the UK begin to glow with lights, illuminated garlands and quick-to-buy “fast-tech” decorations.
These small touches bring warmth and atmosphere through Christmas and the New Year, yet they also coincide with an increase in fires traced back to discarded lithium-ion batteries, often found in such everyday seasonal items. Recent reports highlight more than a thousand waste-collection fires linked to batteries in the last year alone.
What once appeared to be a largely seasonal concern has become a year-round safety issue, particularly with the rise of e-bikes and e-scooters in homes, workplaces, and shared buildings. Fires linked to lithium-ion batteries increased by 46% in the UK in 2023.
During periods of high consumption, fire services and waste operators consistently report a rise in incidents caused by lithium-ion batteries hidden inside discarded items.
When these batteries enter the general waste stream, they can be crushed or damaged during collection and processing, potentially triggering fires that are difficult to control and hazardous for crews and facilities. These incidents illustrate how quickly lithium-ion batteries can become unstable once mishandled or damaged.
The same risks exist with e-bikes and e-scooters together with their accessories but carry more serious consequences due to the size and energy density of their batteries. Failures in these systems release significant heat and develop rapidly, leaving very little time for intervention.
E-Bikes, E-Scooters and Indoor Fire Safety
The London Fire Brigade recently issued a safety alert after three serious fires across the capital in a single week, all caused by catastrophic lithium-ion battery failures in e-bikes. In each case, the fires escalated quickly, generating intense heat and toxic smoke, placing occupants and firefighters at considerable risk.
Lithium-ion batteries are generally reliable when properly designed, charged, and maintained. Problems arise when batteries are damaged, poorly manufactured, modified, or charged with incompatible or uncertified equipment.
These conditions can trigger thermal runaway—a chain reaction in which heat builds uncontrollably until ignition occurs. Once a battery fire starts, it can re-ignite and behave unpredictably, making suppression difficult.
E-bikes and e-scooters are often charged indoors, frequently overnight and sometimes in hallways or near exits. In multi-occupancy buildings, storing or charging batteries in communal areas increases the chance that a single failure could affect multiple occupants or block escape routes. Similar practices are becoming more common in workplaces and public buildings, raising additional concern.
Managing Risk in Homes and Public Spaces
As incidents rise, many organisations have introduced restrictions or bans on e-bikes and e-scooters indoors.
These measures reflect the speed at which battery fires develop and the difficulty of containing them once they occur. Battery-related fires continue to grow across the UK, with e-bike batteries alone linked to multiple serious injuries and fatalities.
Effective risk reduction depends on viewing lithium-ion batteries as high-energy systems rather than everyday accessories. Safe charging habits, use of certified batteries and chargers, avoidance of damaged or modified equipment, and responsible disposal through approved recycling channels are essential. Extra vigilance is required after periods of increased use to ensure batteries do not enter household waste.
Supporting Safer Environments
Amthal works with organisations, property owners, and duty holders to understand and manage emerging fire risks linked to modern technologies. By providing practical guidance, supporting risk assessment in shared spaces, and informing policy decisions,
Amthal supports safer environments where people, property and operations are protected as lithium-powered technologies continue to evolve.