Two lithium-ion battery fires in Sydney in two days - Northmead and Willoughby
Published: 22 Aug 2024 12:18pm
Lithium-ion battery powered devices have caused two fires in Sydney over the past two days.
The first fire involved an an e-bike inside a home in Elizabeth Crescent, Northmead on Tuesday around 5.00pm.
The e-bike was being charged with an after-market battery when it caught fire.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews were called to the single storey residence and could see smoke issuing and flames coming from the front door.
Firefighters quickly got to work and extinguished the blaze in approximately 10 minutes.
One person suffered smoke inhalation and was transported to hospital.
The second fire involved a lithium-ion battery from a leaf blower which caught fire in the back of a moving vehicle.
The driver was travelling along Fourth Avenue, Willoughby East at 8.15am yesterday when he could smell smoke within the car and could see it issuing from underneath the bonnet.
He pulled over and realised the battery, which was located in the boot of the vehicle, was on fire.
Using a towel, the driver removed the battery and placed it on the medium strip before calling Triple Zero (000).
When firefighters arrived on scene, the battery was completely destroyed and smouldering.
The crew immersed the device in water where it continued to bubble before it cooled down about 30 minutes later.
Lithium-ion battery fires are the fastest growing fire risk in NSW.
The two fires are a timely reminder for people to ensure safe charging practices are adhered to including:
- Always charge larger devices, such as e-bikes, e-scooters and power tools outside, away from living spaces and exits.
- Never sleep or leave home with your lithium-ion battery devices charging.
- Once a device has fully charged, disconnect it from the charger.
- Never leave devices charging on beds, sofas or around combustible materials.
Most importantly, a working smoke alarm should be installed in any room, garage, or structure where lithium-ion batteries are regularly charged or stored.
Updated: 22 Aug 2024 12:23pm
Related safety topics
It's important that we all understand the risks of lithium-ion batteries and be prepared if things go wrong.
It“s the law to have at least one working smoke alarm installed on every level of your home.
Details about this incident may change and should not be used as emergency information and/or advice.
For all life threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000)
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