Battery fire

Battery fires tend to be more violent and spread more quickly than normal fires.

They produce large amounts of fumes and potentially explosive flames. Sparks, flames and embers can ignite nearby materials.

The main hazards in a battery fire are the highly toxic combustion fumes and smoke.

Fumes produced when putting out a battery fire (hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, carbon monoxide and other flammable gases) are extremely dangerous, and exposure to them must be avoided.

Causes of a battery fire include overcharging, high temperature, moisture and damage to the battery, such as a dent.

The fire is caused by rapid discharge of the battery, a short circuit or by not allowing an overheated battery to cool down.

A fire can also be caused by external to the battery structure.

Fires that involve large batteries are more aggressive. They are harder to put out and should not be attempted by yourself. Instead, always call the emergency number 112.

Examples of large batteries include those used in the following:

• electric bikes
• power drills
• electric scooters

Due to the toxic fumes, flames and high temperature, even professionals must wear special equipment when dealing with these types of fires.

The nature and duration of the fire depend on the size and charge of the battery, in other words how full the battery was before it caught fire.

Read more under the section putting out a battery fire.

• Follow the user instructions.
• Don’t use the device in conditions that are too cold or hot. Room temperature is best for batteries.

Charging:

• Do not leave batteries unattended while charging.
• Do not keep the battery constantly charged or let the charge run out completely.
• Let the battery cool down after use before charging.
• Do not charge electric bikes or scooters indoors next to the front door.
• Charge batteries in a place where there are no easily flammable materials.
• Only use a charger and cable designed for the battery in question.
• A good practice is to always keep the battery charge between 10% to 90%.

Signs of danger:

• If the battery has a dent in it, monitor the battery’s performance.
• If the battery gets hot, stop charging, take the battery to a safe place to cool down and monitor its condition.
• If the battery is swollen or gives off a strange smell, take the battery or device for service or recycling.

Recycling batteries:

Tape over the terminals and take the battery to a recycling point at a store or retailer that sells batteries.

Supervise the device while it is charging so that you can spot dangerous situations immediately. Do not leave the room or go to sleep.

Do not leave devices constantly charging.

Always charge batteries on a non-flammable surface and make sure there is no flammable material nearby.

Do not charge batteries indoors next to the front door to ensure safe exit if needed.

Check the condition of the device regularly.

If you notice anything out of the ordinary with the battery-powered device, stop using the device.

If, while charging the device, you notice:

• strange noise
• heating
• smell
• swelling

stop charging and let the device cool down.

Take the battery and device to cool down in a safe place with a minimal risk of a fire spreading.

A safe place can be the bathroom shower, tub or someplace with no easily flammable materials.

If the battery catches fire, see the section Putting out a battery fire.

Examples of situations where the battery needs to be replaced or recycled or the device taken in for service:

• the battery is visibly damaged, such as bent
• the battery heats intensely when used or charged
• the battery or device is swollen or bulged
• the battery drains faster than usual and repeatedly

If the device falls on the floor, keep an eye on its condition. If you notice anything out of the ordinary in the battery, take it to service.

Follow the device’s user instructions.

Before buying, ask the seller about the safety of the product. Battery-powered devices have overheating protection or internal battery monitoring systems to improve user safety.

When you buy a new battery for your device, get the same model as the previous one. Otherwise, check with the supplier and read the product data sheet to ensure that the battery is compatible with your device.

Remember to recycle old batteries correctly.

A discarded, incorrectly stored and damaged lithium-ion battery is a safety hazard as it can catch fire.

• When discarding a battery, immediately cover its terminals with tape, for example.
• Batteries can short-circuit and cause a fire if the positive and negative terminals come into contact with each other.
• Take discarded batteries and accumulators to a recycling point or to a store that sells batteries as soon as possible.

Recycling points for batteries and accumulators: Recycling points (paristokierratys.fi)

Putting out a battery fire can be very difficult. That’s why the important thing is to plan ahead, use caution and remember safety when charging devices.

Think about what to do if something out of the ordinary happens while using or charging a device at home.

• Unplug the device from the charger.
• Quickly move the device to a cool place away from flammable materials.
• Remember the locations of fire extinguishing equipment and a bucket for submerging the device in water.

Traditional extinguishing tools, such as hand-held extinguishers, are not effective in putting out a battery fire  because the battery is in a tightly sealed casing.

However, fire extinguishing equipment can prevent the fire from spreading and put out fires in other materials nearby.

Putting out battery fires is difficult, but you can try to put out smaller battery fires (such as a phone battery) as long as you look after safety.

Do as follows:

• Do not expose yourself to smoke and toxic fumes from the fire.
• Call the emergency number 112.
• Follow the instructions you are given.
• If possible, unplug the device from the charger.
• If you can, submerge the device in water in a bucket or pot or the sink.
• Do not put a lid on the bucket or pot so as to not cause pressure to build up.
• Prevent the fire from spreading to other materials using a fire blanket or other extinguishing equipment.
• Ensure that there is sufficient ventilation in the room.

For small household appliances such as mobile phones, submerging in water is a good way to contain and cool the fire. You can use a bucket filled with water, for example. Only attempt this if it is safe to do so.

Batteries are often encased in the device, so the water needs to get inside the device to put out the fire.

It may be impossible to put out the fire as the fire is happening inside the battery.

Prevent the fire from spreading to nearby materials using fire extinguishing equipment. Avoid exposing yourself to smoke and fumes, however.

After the fire, make sure to ventilate properly as battery fires produce very toxic fumes.

If a fire breaks out from a large battery (such as a power drill or an electric bike), the fire is likely to be more intense than a small battery fire.

Dealing with large battery fires is the job of the fire brigade, as extinguishing these types of fires is extremely difficult and dangerous.

Do as follows:

• Do not expose yourself to smoke and toxic fumes from the fire.
• Leave the room or area.
• Call the emergency number 112.
• Follow the instructions you are given.

Due to the extremely toxic fumes and explosive flames and exceptionally high temperature produced by the fire, even professionals must wear special equipment when dealing with these types of fires.

After a fire, make sure to ventilate properly as battery fires produce very toxic fumes.

Devices or batteries should not be charged in the common areas of housing companies as they are often left unsupervised.

Battery-powered devices must be supervised while charging so that a possible fire can be responded to immediately.

If the possibility of charging devices is considered, this must be done in a controlled manner in a space where fire safety has been ensured:

• Equip the room with a smoke alarm or fire detector: For example, with an interconnected smoke alarm that immediately sounds an alarm in other rooms or a fire detector.
• Ensure there are no unnecessary furniture or flammable materials in the room.
• Ensure minimal possibility of a fire spreading. For example, by ensuring that bicycle storage facilities are separate fire compartments that can be sealed to slow the spread of fire, smoke and combustion fumes.
• Fire-resistant cabinets are available for charging and storing batteries.
• Consult a professional to organise ventilation in such a way that fumes produced by a potential fire do not cause harm to other parts of the building.
• Provide instructions to residents on the safe use and charging of devices, what to do in case of fire and how to evacuate safely.

Whether or not the space can be used for charging batteries depends on the circumstances. A professional, such as a fire safety engineer, can be consulted to help evaluate the situation.

Charging of battery-powered devices should always be done under supervision so that problems and malfunctions (such as strange noises or overheating) can be identified and addressed.

Especially in the case of larger batteries, such as electric bikes, a battery fire can be very intense.

Battery-powered devices should not be charged in front of exits or along exit routes. This ensures minimal exposure to fumes and safe evacuation.

It’s advisable for housing companies to prepare common rules and instructions for residents on where and how to safely charge battery-powered devices.

Not all outlets are suitable for charging electric vehicles. Charging an electric car requires power, and not all household electric outlets are designed to withstand constant high load.

The charging point must be appropriately inspected before use. The charging station is supplied with instructions for its use, maintenance and inspection.

A professional assesses the placement and overall installation of the charging points. When done correctly, the assessment takes into account the devices themselves as well as structural, building services and fire safety considerations.

Users must be given clear instructions on how to use the chargers and monitor the condition of batteries, as well as how to know if the devices are not functioning correctly. The instructions explain what to do and how to evacuate the area in the event of a battery fire.

It is important to follow the equipment manufacturer’s installation and operating instructions.