Toronto fire chief calls lithium-ion battery fires 'greatest public safety risk' facing the city

Toronto's fire chief has called lithium-ion battery fires the greatest public safety risk facing the city, citing a 214 percent increase in incidents over the last three years.

Chief Jim Jessop told city council Wednesday that fire crews have already responded to 50 such fires this year. When these batteries fail, they enter what's known as thermal runaway — a chain reaction that causes rapid overheating, explosions, and unpredictable projectiles.

"We've had fatalities, we've had critical injuries, and one of the more disturbing trends firefighters have been dealing with over the last number of weeks, because of the number of these bikes that are often stored in these apartments, they're actually exploding when firefighters are inside conducting their primary searches," Jessop said.

He detailed two near misses in the last three weeks where firefighters were inside apartments when stored e-bikes exploded. In one incident, crews were attempting to rescue someone off a balcony when the bikes stored on the balcony exploded.

"The challenge we have right now is there is no regulatory requirement limiting the number of bikes to be stored," Jessop said, adding he's called on Queen's Park to amend the fire code. Until that happens, fire officials will continue delegating significant resources to public education campaigns, urging residents to avoid charging e-bikes or scooters overnight, use only manufacturer-approved chargers, keep devices away from exits and living spaces, and replace damaged or swollen batteries immediately.