Fire Prevention Week 2026: What Firefighters Want Canadians to Know About Lithium Battery Fires

This week is Fire Prevention Week across North America, and the 2026 theme is lithium-ion battery safety. With Toronto reporting more than 200% growth in lithium-ion battery fires since 2022, and a two-week blaze at a Prince Edward Island solar farm still fresh, firefighters are sounding the alarm on risks that span from e-bikes in bedrooms to grid-scale energy storage.

How common are these fires?

Canadian fire departments don't track lithium battery incidents in a consistent national database, but a survey from the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs estimates 1,500 fires started by lithium batteries in 600 communities across the country last year. The numbers are growing exponentially alongside the proliferation of battery-powered devices, says Paul Boissoneault, president of the association and chief of the Oakville Fire Department.

The breakdown by device type is telling:

• Most common: E-bikes and e-scooters in homes — denser energy in smaller packs, often charged overnight near bedrooms
• Rare: EV battery fires — rigorously tested, with built-in thermal management, temperature sensors, and cell-level cooling. U.S. data suggests they're extremely uncommon compared to gas-vehicle fires
• Very rare: Grid storage fires — a global database from the Electric Power Research Institute shows the Summerside, P.E.I. solar farm fire was one of only six worldwide in 2026

What makes lithium battery fires different

Firefighters emphasize three characteristics that break conventional firefighting playbooks:

• They burn hotter and faster. At a certain temperature, lithium batteries enter "thermal runaway" — heat accelerates chemical reactions that generate more heat, a chain reaction that can become explosive.
• They make their own oxygen. One terminal is a metal oxide that breaks down into metal and oxygen gas during a fire, sustaining combustion even when smothered. Normal fire-suppression tactics (foam, blankets, CO₂) don't work.
• They generate toxic substances — hydrogen fluoride, formaldehyde, and heavy metals — that contaminate turnout gear and require specialized decontamination.
• They can reignite hours, days, or weeks later. Thermal runaway and self-generated oxygen mean a "dead" battery can flare up during transport or storage after the initial fire.

Water isn't a simple solution

Randy Narine, a Brampton firefighter who studies lithium battery safety through Clean Core Research, estimates a gas-car fire can be extinguished with under 2,000 litres of water, whereas a lithium battery fire can take tens of thousands of litres. Water provides cooling and protects adjacent materials, but it cannot smother the fire — the battery generates its own oxygen.

For large energy storage systems, experts at the Energy Storage Canada conference in Toronto said the fire often just needs to burn out. Adam Jakubowski, a firefighter and senior consultant with Energy Safety Response Group, noted that applying water can prolong a fire that may reignite weeks later, and creates contaminated runoff.

Training and equipment gaps

Boissoneault said just 40% of departments surveyed had formal training on lithium battery incidents, and even fewer had standard operating policies and the correct equipment. Many also lack a way to decontaminate gear after a lithium fire.

What you can do to reduce risk at home

Buy certified. Look for CSA, cUL, or CETL labels — not cheaper uncertified packs that may lack basic safety circuitry. Don't modify batteries to charge faster or hold more energy.

Charge properly. On hard, non-combustible surfaces. Away from anything flammable. Unplug as soon as fully charged. Use the charger that came with the device — don't mix and match, says Jon McQuaid of Call2Recycle Canada.

Recycle at battery drop-off sites only. Not trash, not blue bins. Call2Recycle locations accept consumer batteries; tape the terminals first (even on button cells) to prevent short circuits from contact with other batteries or debris. Damaged, defective, or recalled batteries need special "DDR" containers at select drop-off sites.

The EV context

Fire chiefs are careful to separate the e-bike problem from the EV question. U.S. data shows EV fires are far less frequent per vehicle-mile than gasoline fires. But as Canada's EV fleet grows — J.D. Power reports 34% of Canadians would consider an EV for their next purchase, up from 28% in 2025 — fire departments are pushing for more training, better decontamination protocols, and national data standards so the next Fire Prevention Week has clearer numbers.

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