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4. ***VISION ALERT - Homemade battery charger sparks another lithium-ion blaze, 14th in last nine days - Caringbah

***VISION ALERT - Homemade battery charger sparks another lithium-ion blaze, 14th in last nine days - Caringbah

Published: 11 Feb 2025 01:12pm

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have identified a makeshift power supply, running from a light fitting to an e-bike on charge, as the cause of a garage fire this morning at Caringbah, in Sydney’s south.

Eight firefighters and two fire trucks rushed to an apartment block in Taren Road around 4.20 this morning.

They found a small fire in the single-vehicle garage, under the block of units.

The firefighters evacuated 10 people from the complex and extinguished the flames. There were no reports of injuries.

An inspection of the site has determined that an e-bike on charge caused the blaze.

A makeshift, ‘Do It Yourself’ charging system had been established to power the bike’s lithium-ion battery.

It appears the battery has overheated, sending the power pack into ‘Thermal Runaway,’ causing it to explode in flames.

FRNSW Superintendent, Adam Dewberry, says the homemade battery-charging set-up, where an electric cable ran from a light fitting to the e-bike, was very concerning for fire crews.

“Lithium-ion batteries are a great convenience but if not treated with respect, particularly with e-bikes and e-scooters, they can be extremely dangerous,” Supt Dewberry said.

“They can ignite with explosive force, issuing toxic gas, and causing intense fires that spread rapidly,’ he added.

“Never mix and match your batteries and chargers. “Always use the charger purchased with the device.

“I cannot say this strongly enough – do not modify your chargers or batteries, do not make your own batteries.

“This is yet another example of a close call relating to lithium-ion batteries.”

Officially, there have been 25 lithium-ion battery fires in NSW, so far this year.

That number is expected to rise, however, as FRNSW verifies the cause of 14 lithium-ion battery fires in the past nine days.

There were 318 such fires in NSW last year, 272 in 2023 and 165 in 2022.

FRNSW advises:

• Never sleep or leave home with your lithium-battery-powered devices charging
• Don’t leave them constantly on charge
• Don’t throw any lithium-ion batteries out in the rubbish, they can start garbage truck or rubbish tip fires when compacted
• Contact your local council or recycling centre for disposal advice
• Don’t leave devices charging on beds, sofas or around highly flammable materials
• Try to charge devices outside if possible
• Always buy reputable lithium-battery brands and never ‘mix and match’ components
• Beware of cheap, substandard Lithium battery-powered devices
• Avoid dropping, crushing or piercing battery cells
• Store batteries and devices in a cool, dry area, away from combustible materials
• Install active smoke alarms in your home/garage
• Ensure you have a home evacuation plan in the event of fire
• Don’t store or charge lithium-Ion-powered devices near exit points in your home

Fire and Rescue NSW, along with NSW Fair Trading, the Environment Protection Agency and the Department of Customer Service is running a public safety campaign, 'Shop, Charge, Recycle Safely' around lithium-ion batteries: https://vimeo.com/1026747207/c16267d2b3?ts=0& [external link];share=copy

For further information, visit the FRNSW website: https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/page.php?id=9392 [external link]

Media note - footage of the fire and aftermath is available here: https://vimeo.com/1055410325/79374877d1 [external link]

Updated: 11 Feb 2025 12:16pm

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