NFCC Press Release

• Fire services face growing challenges tackling lithium-ion battery fires, which are complex, can reignite after being extinguished and release toxic gases.   
• Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly used in many household appliances and everyday items and are also used to power Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) such as e-bikes and e-scooters.  
• However, Fire Chiefs warn that safety standards are not keeping pace with the rapid rollout.   
• NFCC is calling for urgent government action to strengthen product safety rules, regulate online sales, improve battery disposal, increase public awareness, and invest in firefighting research, to address the growing risks of lithium-ion battery technologies.

Urgent action is needed to tackle the fire risks associated with lithium-ion batteries, fire chiefs have warned today, Wednesday 19^th November. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said the increased use of lithium-ion batteries in household products is outpacing UK safety standards. Lithium-ion battery fires can be explosive and spread rapidly, with the risk of reignition and toxic gasses. NFCC says this is putting the public and firefighters – as well as property and the environment – at increasing risk.

Publishing new recommendations to strengthen safety across consumer products, NFCC has called for the Government to act swiftly to close regulatory gaps by introducing clear, enforceable product safety rules for lithium-ion battery products, tighter controls on online sales, and improved systems for the safe disposal of batteries.

NFCC is also urging a coordinated national public education campaign to highlight how misuse – such as unsafe charging or product modifications – can significantly increase fire risks. Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly used in many household appliances and items such as electric toothbrushes, tools, toys, mobile phones, tablets, laptops and in vapes. They are also used to power Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) such as e-bikes and e-scooters, as well as Electric Vehicles (EVs).

While these technologies are crucial for a low-carbon future, fires involving these batteries are complex, producing toxic and potentially explosive vapours, and pose a serious risk of reignition.

National Fire Chiefs Council Chair, Phil Garrigan, said:

“Lithium-ion batteries are now everywhere in our homes - powering the phones in our pockets, the laptops on our desks, e-scooters, and cordless appliances we use every day. But these technologies must not come at the cost of public and firefighter safety.

“The fire risks linked to these familiar products are evolving far faster than the safety standards designed to protect us. When things go wrong with lithium-ion batteries the consequences can be devastating, and tragically, lives have already been lost.

“Fire and rescue services are the first line of defence when these batteries fail, facing fires that are incredibly complex and dangerous to tackle. They need stronger protection, clear standards, and better tools from government and industry to continue safeguarding people and property as these batteries become ever more common in our homes.”

Since 2023, at least six fatalities have been linked to fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters, according to Prevention of Future Death reports, highlighting gaps in public awareness and safety standards and the urgent need for stronger regulation.

Lithium-ion fires are becoming more frequent, placing increasing operational and resource pressures on fire and rescue services, who are usually the first to respond when these batteries ignite. Between January 2021 and September 2023, a search of free text inputs to the Government’s Incident Recording System (IRS) identified 139 fire records mentioning “e-bike” and 124 mentioning “e-scooter”. However, the Government has acknowledged that the quality and completeness of this data cannot be guaranteed, and NFCC believes the true scale of the issue to be significantly higher.

London Fire Brigade alone attended 179 fires involving e-bikes or e-scooters in 2023, and in 2024, the Office for Product Safety and Standards received reports of 211 such fires, nearly half of which occurred indoors. As reporting to OPSS is voluntary, these figures are also likely to represent an underestimate.

The Product Safety and Metrology Act 2025, which recently received Royal Assent, gives the Government new powers to make enforceable safety rules for products such as e-bikes and e-scooters, including those sold online. These rules could help reduce fire risks from lithium-ion batteries. NFCC welcomes this step but says urgent action is still needed to close safety gaps and make sure these powers are used to protect people and firefighters.

In addition to lithium-ion batteries, NFCC is urging policymakers to recognise the wider fire safety risks posed by the full spectrum of emerging energy technologies. Ensuring fire safety means that regulatory frameworks must be flexible and responsive to keep up with the rapid pace of energy technology innovation.

NFCC’s Fire Risks in Energy Technologies Position Statements calls on the Government to:

• Introduce mandatory product safety rules and third-party testing for Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs).   
• Regulate online marketplaces to ensure all lithium-ion battery products sold in the UK meet designated safety standards.   
• Establish a safe and accessible regime for disposing of lithium-ion batteries, including those that are damaged.   
• Update Building Regulations guidance to reflect fire risks from storing and charging energy technologies in homes and public spaces.   
• Ensure fire and rescue service advice is considered and responded to when consulted about fire safety risks, including comments on compliance with the Fire Safety Order during Building Regulations consultations.  
• Fund national public awareness campaigns to help people use and dispose of lithium-ion-battery-powered products safely.   
• Invest in ongoing research to improve firefighting tactics and training for incidents involving energy technologies.   
• Improve coordination across Government and regularly consult fire safety experts to support long-term risk planning.

ENDS

Notes to editors

• NFCC’s Fire Risks in Energy Technologies Position Statement can be read here. 
• Lithium-ion batteries are used in many household appliances and such as electric toothbrushes, tools, toys, mobile phones, tablets, laptops and in vapes. Lithium-ion batteries are also used to power Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) such as e-bikes and e-scooters, as well as Electric Vehicles (EVs).   
• Information on the Prevention of Future Deaths reports can be found here.   
• The quality and consistency of data on lithium-ion battery fires remains variable. There is currently no formal reporting mechanism for fire and rescue services to accurately record these incidents, though NFCC has worked with the Home Office and is now engaging with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to ensure a system is introduced.   
• The MHCLG Incident Recording System (IRS), does not include a dedicated field for lithium-ion battery involvement and relies on manual entries in free text fields, which may not be consistently used across fire and rescue services. NFCC believes the true scale of incidents to be significantly higher.   
• In addition to IRS data, fire and rescue services voluntarily report incidents involving consumer products to the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). As reporting to OPSS is voluntary, these figures are also likely to underestimate the national scale of the issue. The most recent OPSS data can be found here.  
• Data on fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters in London is taken from London Fire Brigade’s guidance on the dangers of electric scooters and electric bicycle batteries, which can be found here.  
• The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is a charity and an independent membership association and the professional voice of the UK Fire and Rescue Service. NFCC supports fire and rescue services to help them to save lives and keep their local communities safe.

For more information, please contact NFCC’s Media Officer, Amelia Franklin, on [email protected].