Lithium-Ion Battery Fires: September 1 - 6

Lithium-ion batteries power much of our daily life, from phones and scooters to cars and industrial equipment. But with their benefits come fire risks that we must not overlook.

I have assembled a photo carousel highlighting recent lithium-ion battery fire incidents from September 1st–6th. These summaries show how widespread and varied these events have become and why safe handling and disposal matter.

Here are just a few of the incidents included:

✅ Crystal River, Florida (USA): A home sustained 25% damage after charging batteries ignited in a utility room.

🔗 https://www.chronicleonline.com/news/local/lithium-battery-fire-damages-25-of-crystal-river-home/article_51594bd9-85e4-507b-8765-9c6430edb24d.html

✅ Vista, California (USA): Multiple electric vehicles caught fire at a charging station in a Target parking lot.

🔗 https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/fire-spreads-to-multiple-evs-at-vista-charging-station/

✅ Peterborough, England (UK): An e-bike battery pack ignited, destroying two residential sheds.

🔗 https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/firefighter-warning-after-dramatic-blaze-32404955

✅ Morris, Illinois (USA): A semi-trailer carrying 35,000 pounds of lithium batteries burned for hours, requiring nearly 200,000 gallons of water.

🔗 https://www.wcsjnews.com/news/local/more-details-released-about-lithium-battery-fire-from-thursday/article_360bfdd4-c730-46d2-b9d4-200c5187cf33.html

✅ Seoul, South Korea: A passenger’s device battery caught fire on a subway platform, disrupting service.

🔗 https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-society/2025/09/01/7B7F6X4RRBGZJMJODFEUSWIT6Y/

Across these cases, a few trends stand out: batteries igniting while charging, improper disposal leading to recycling fires, and large-scale transportation incidents that challenge even well-prepared fire crews.

👉 Swipe through the slide show to see more details and lessons learned.

I’ve created the spreadsheet with all reviewed incidents, including the title, link, publication date, and description.

You can download it here:

lithium_battery_fire_incidents (8).xlsx

Download XLSX • 27KB

🔍 Lessons Learned from This Week’s Lithium-Ion Battery Fires

By reviewing incidents across homes, workplaces, and public spaces, we can draw lessons that help prevent future fires and improve community safety.

Charging Hazards Indoors

Several incidents, including a home fire in Crystal River, Florida, and an apartment fire in Ocala, Florida, were traced to batteries igniting while charging. Fires started in utility rooms or living areas, sometimes spreading before fire crews arrived.

Takeaway: Always charge lithium-ion batteries in well-ventilated areas, away from sleeping spaces, and never leave them unattended overnight.

Improper Battery Disposal

Fires in Staffordshire, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Stevenage were all linked to discarded batteries in bins or recycling systems. Once damaged in collection vehicles or sorting bays, these batteries smoldered or ignited, endangering workers and equipment.

Takeaway: Batteries should never go in household or curbside bins, direct them to proper recycling points or collection programs.

Transportation and Logistics Risks

A semi-trailer fire in Illinois carrying 35,000 pounds of batteries and a Tennessee highway crash involving a 74,000-pound battery load required massive resources and extended closures. These incidents show the scale of hazards when batteries are shipped in bulk.

Takeaway: Transportation operators and responders must plan for lithium-ion cargo incidents, including water supply, hazmat support, and traffic management.

Device-Related Fires

Individual devices, including an e-bike in Cambridgeshire, an electric scooter in Ocala, and a passenger’s device battery in Seoul, caused fires that disrupted households and public transit. While smaller in scale, these incidents highlight risks in everyday settings.

Takeaway: Consumers should stop using damaged devices or batteries and follow manufacturer guidance for safe charging and storage.

Rapid Firefighting Challenges

Across multiple incidents, from EV fires in California to battery blazes in transport trailers, responders used significant resources, sometimes hundreds of thousands of gallons of water and still faced extended operations.

Takeaway: Fire services should continue training for lithium-ion events, recognizing that suppression strategies may differ from conventional fires.

References

69 News. (2025, September 3). Battery fire reported at Upper Macungie plant. WFMZ. https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehighvalley/lehigh-county/western-lehigh-county/battery-fire-reported-at-upper-macungie-plant/article_972260c9-463f-4b05-b9fd-c563540026c9.html

Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service. (2025, September 4). Battery safety reminder following large skip fire. https://www.staffordshirefire.gov.uk/news/posts/battery-safety-reminder-following-large-skip-fire/

Cambridgeshire Live. (2025, September 3). Firefighter warning after dramatic blaze destroys sheds in Cambridgeshire gardens. https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/firefighter-warning-after-dramatic-blaze-32404955

Arnold, M. (2025, September 4). Lithium battery fire damages 25% of Crystal River home. Citrus County Chronicle. https://www.chronicleonline.com/news/local/lithium-battery-fire-damages-25-of-crystal-river-home/article_51594bd9-85e4-507b-8765-9c6430edb24d.html

Knapper, D. (2025, September 4). Live updates as firefighters at North Staffordshire blaze ‘next to fire station’. Stoke-on-Trent Live. https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/live-updates-firefighters-north-staffordshire-10473776

WCSJ Staff. (2025, September 8). More details released about lithium battery fire from Thursday. WCSJ News. https://www.wcsjnews.com/news/local/more-details-released-about-lithium-battery-fire-from-thursday/article_360bfdd4-c730-46d2-b9d4-200c5187cf33.html

Ashcraft, A. (2025, September 7). Multiple EVs catch fire at Vista charging station. FOX 5 San Diego. https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/fire-spreads-to-multiple-evs-at-vista-charging-station/

WCJB Staff. (2025, September 3). Ocala mother arrested after her children were rescued from apartment fire. WCJB. https://www.wcjb.com/2025/09/03/neighbors-rescued-ocala-apartment-complex-after-electric-scooter-catches-fire/

Mountney, D. (2025, September 4). Residents warned after batteries burn in Stevenage. The Comet. https://www.thecomet.net/news/25442107.residents-warned-batteries-burn-stevenage

Lee, H. (2025, September 1). Seoul’s Hapjeong Station bypassed temporarily due to passenger’s battery fire. ChosunBiz. https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-society/2025/09/01/7B7F6X4RRBGZJMJODFEUSWIT6Y

Northern Ontario Business Staff. (2025, September 3). Sudbury event to explore battery-electric fires in mines. Northern Ontario Business. https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/industry-news/mining/sudbury-event-to-explore-battery-electric-fires-in-mines-11152870

Steward, J. (2025, September 4). Traffic stalls on I-40 after crash involving lithium batteries creates hazard. WBBJ TV. https://www.wbbjtv.com/2025/09/04/traffic-stalls-on-i-40-after-crash-involving-lithium-batteries-creates-hazard

WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News Staff. (2025, September 5). UPDATE: Crews work over 16 hours to clear hazardous I-40 crash. WBBJ TV. https://www.wbbjtv.com/2025/09/05/update-crews-work-over-16-hours-to-clear-hazardous-i-40-crash