In recent years, the widespread use of lithium-ion batteries in devices such as smartphones, laptops, electric bicycles, and electric vehicles has greatly improved people's quality of life. However, with the increasing popularity of these batteries, the associated fire risk is also on the rise.

Fire officials in Massachusetts say they have tracked 50 lithium-ion battery fires in the past few months, more than twice the annual average number detected by the National Fire Incident Reporting System.

According to reports, a total of 38 cities and towns in Massachusetts have reported lithium-ion battery fires. Data shows that 99 of these fires involved battery-powered devices such as scooters, electric bikes, and hoverboards, which are the most common equipment to catch fire; eight fires involved laptops, and another eight involved phones, tablets, or similar devices; six fires involved power tools. Out of the 50 fires, it was possible to determine the charging status of the device in 41 cases, and surprisingly, 56% of the devices were not being charged at the time of the accident, indicating that lithium-ion batteries carry a significant fire risk even during normal use.

If these lithium-ion batteries are overcharged, overheated, or used too often during daily use, they can experience thermal runaway, potentially causing very serious safety issues with no warning signs. Additionally, lithium-ion batteries undergoing thermal runaway release toxic gases and flames, which can ignite nearby furniture. An even bigger problem is that water and traditional fire extinguishers are significantly less effective against lithium-ion battery fires, said state fire officials.

When one cell in a battery pack heats up, it will spread to adjacent cells. Each cell contains a large amount of energy and is difficult to stop, said Brian O'Connor, a senior firefighter engineer with the National Fire Association in Quincy.

Jon Davine, chief of fire services in Massachusetts, said last October his department launched a new tracking tool - Lithium Ion Battery Fire Investigation Worksheet - to better identify and track lithium-ion battery fires, then inputting the information into a database to identify patterns and trends.

The tool tracks battery fires but does not specifically collect data on the types of batteries. In some cases, not all the detailed information required by Massachusetts officials is available, and fires may be classified based on the type of equipment involved rather than the type of battery; additionally, completing and uploading an MFIRS report can sometimes take weeks or even months. Between 2019 and 2023, the Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System averaged 19.4 lithium-ion battery fires per year, well below the number identified by investigators using the worksheet over the past six months alone.

Jon Davine said the increase in fires could be due to the growing number of consumer devices powered by these batteries, increased attention from local fire investigators, or other factors. For example, fires triggered by other items but affecting battery-powered equipment, leading it to enter a state of thermal runaway, might not be classified as battery fires in either the Massachusetts Fire Incident Reporting System or the National Fire Incident Reporting System.

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