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The trend of hoverboard, eBike, and eScooter battery fires is a cause for concern. However, more importantly, it’s a cause for an increase in awareness in proper use.

Last month, New York City had four e-bike battery fires in two days. The fires injured a dozen people. According to fire marshals, in each blaze the cause was the result of a malfunctioning lithium-ion battery that was used to power the e-bike. The fires gutted each house and required hundreds of firefighters to bring under control.

Unfortunately, the trend in New York City reflects a nationwide trend resulting from an increase in number of fires originating from lithium battery-powered devices.

In many cases, these fires result in more than just substantial property loss. In one case, a 43-year-old man died from injuries sustained after being pulled from a raging fire caused by a malfunctioned lithium-ion battery used to power a scooter. In another tragic fire, a charging moped battery killed a 9-year-old boy as his parents struggled in vain to rescue him from their burning basement. The last words his mother heard him say were, “Mom, help me!”

To be clear, factory-installed scooter batteries seem safe and adhere to industry standards. Most issues seem to stem from after-market batteries/chargers purchased online from discount manufacturers.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, charging lithium-ion batteries for devices like scooters and e-bikes sparked 330 fires in the United States from 2015 to 2018, causing more than $9 million in property damage.

Even in our area, I personally have investigated a fire that resulted from a charging hoverboard.

To increase your awareness on how to own/operate these devices safely, it's important to understand the technology of lithium-ion batteries. According to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, lithium-ion batteries, spurred by the growth in mobile phone, tablet, and laptop computer markets, have been pushed to achieve higher and higher energy densities. Energy density is directly related to the number of hours a battery can operate.

A battery is made up of an anode, cathode, separator, electrolyte, and two current collectors (positive and negative). The anode and cathode store the lithium. The electrolyte carries positively charged lithium ions from the anode to the cathode and vice versa through the separators.

The movement creates free electrons in the anode which creates a charge at the positive current collector. The electrical current then flows from the current collector through a device being powered to the negative current collector. The separator blocks the flow of electrons inside the battery.

If you read that basic explanation, and you are still awake, let me just say -- it is obvious these batteries contain a high level of technology. As with most highly technical devices, they are designed for specific charging components. Of the fires previously mentioned in this article, they were all caused by improper charging techniques, use of aftermarket chargers or batteries, or improper storage.

Before you throw out those lithium-powered batteries and devices, let me be clear. The purpose of this article is NOT to scare you or encourage people not to take advantage of technology. My goal is simply to encourage those of us who utilize this technology to do so in a safe manner and follow all reputable manufacturer recommendations.

First of all, if you are replacing a battery or charger and find one claiming to be equivalent to the manufacturer's original for half the cost … it is NOT an equivalent. In fact, many fires were caused by low price “equivalents” that were not suitable for the device and were not made with the same quality.

In addition, always follow manufacturer charging recommendations. Even when using OE chargers and batteries, you should not charge an e-bike, scooter, or hoverboard indoors, and you should NEVER leave them charging unattended. Ideally, you would not even store them in your home.

These devices are not like tablets or cell phones. Remember that batteries increase in energy density for larger devices. This means there is more of a potential of energy release.

I investigated a fire in my response district that was caused by a charging hoverboard left unattended in a child’s bedroom. Thankfully, the incident did not result in a loss of life, but the family was left without a home, until the damage could be repaired. Many times, the occupants are not so lucky.

In closing, most fires associated with lithium-ion batteries are caused by misuse or cheap components not recommended by the manufacturer. We are living in a time that energy sources are transitioning from internal combustion to electricity. This transition will stretch the limits of energy stored devices such as lithium-ion batteries. That means we all have a responsibility to learn about them and become aware of their potential, but, more importantly, learn their limitations and how those limitations could have disastrous consequences.

Just like the generations before us had to learn about the danger potential of internal combustion engines, alkaline batteries, and electricity, this is the new generation's challenge to learn and embrace technology in a safe manner.

Lt. Chris Collins is the fire marshal with the St. Albans Fire Department. He can be contacted at safdffcollins@gmail.com or 304-382-6850.

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