Fire investigators across North America report a sharp increase in structure fires sparked by lithium-ion batteries in homes, businesses, and recycling facilities.
The rise in these incidents poses a significant public safety risk because lithium-ion fires are difficult to extinguish and often occur in densely populated residential areas.
In Toronto, the trend has seen a dramatic climb over the last few years. The number of fires rose from 29 in 2022 to 76 in 2026 [5]. This represents a 162% increase [5]. Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop said there is a 36% increase from the same time last year, with 76 of them recorded in the city as of Wednesday [2].
The proliferation of these batteries in consumer devices, including e-bikes and e-scooters, is a primary driver of the trend [1]. Limited regulation and poor disposal practices have further exacerbated the danger [1]. In some instances, the frequency of these events has spiked rapidly, with four fires involving lithium-ion batteries occurring within a single 24-hour period in Toronto [4].
Investigators are not seeing this trend only in Canada. Similar patterns have emerged in the San Francisco Peninsula and on Vancouver Island [1, 3]. These fires are not limited to residential settings; they are also occurring at waste management sites.
La Mariana, Executive Director of RethinkWaste, described a specific incident at a recycling facility in the San Francisco Peninsula. "It was a four-alarm fire," she said [0].
Fire investigators said they are going to fires more often and finding that lithium-ion batteries have been on an uptick, causing more structure fires [2]. The volatility of these batteries means that a single failure can lead to a rapid chain reaction, often referred to as thermal runaway, which can engulf a building quickly.
“The number of fires rose from 29 in 2022 to 76 in 2026 in Toronto.”
The surge in lithium-ion battery fires highlights a critical gap between the rapid adoption of micro-mobility technology and the infrastructure for its safe disposal and regulation. As these batteries become standard in everything from scooters to home energy storage, city fire departments are facing a new class of chemical fires that traditional firefighting methods struggle to contain.
