As sunsets inexorably come sooner and evenings get cooler, don’t forget about shorter rides in our Okanagan cities, such as Paul’s Tomb Trail in Knox Mountain Park in Kelowna.

As sunsets inexorably come sooner and evenings get cooler, don’t forget about shorter rides in our Okanagan cities, such as Paul’s Tomb Trail in Knox Mountain Park in Kelowna.

“We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for this emergency announcement.”

Vancouver Fire Rescue Services has issued a warning about lithium ion batteries after a series of residential fires and five fire deaths this year from all types of devices – cell phones to laptops to e-bikes and e-scooters.

Capt. Matthew Trudeau, public information officer for Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, said fires are occurring largely because chargers are being modified or batteries are being tampered with from their original state.

“We’re seeing these a lot in SROs (single room occupancy) where people are modifying these chargers, and then when it gets that incorrect voltage, it causes overheating, shorting and then these things just explode. Some people are modifying the chargers, but we are seeing a high occurrence with just lithium-ion batteries failing overall as well.”

Atira Group of Women Serving Services, a Vancouver non-profit housing provider managing several dozen low-income buildings, says four of its buildings in the Downtown Eastside were damaged in fires during the past three weeks because residents were charging lithium ion batteries used in electric bikes.

“I have posted numerous warnings and information on social media as well as providing numerous clips for media agencies about our warnings, number of deaths and safety considerations around it,” said Trudeau on Thursday.

“Our Public Education Team has visiting many SRO and high-risk buildings in the city providing information to residents, staff and operators about the risks.”

The shift in recent years to people using electric bikes and scooters is noticeable throughout Vancouver, particularly along bike routes. E-bikes in low-income areas may have questionable origins and don’t come with a charger so residents improvise.

On Thursday, Paul Johnson, fire prevention officer at the Kelowna Fire Department, recalled several Kelowna fires from lithium ion batteries including a 2017 fatality.

“There are a couple different causes with (fires from) lithium ion batteries,” he said, explaining laptops and computers have to be able to cool themselves. Laptop computers, for example, have a vent on the bottom. If used in bed with the laptop lying on fabric, “the computer cannot cool itself and unfortunately, then the batteries go into a thermal runaway situation.”

The other problem is owners altering their e-bike batteries’ safety mechanism for a faster battery charge or more power, he said. “I have not heard of any of those e-bike fires in Kelowna or have not been made aware of them,” he added, but as vice-president of the Fire Prevention Officers Association of B.C., other officers are experiencing it.

In an email, Sam Atakhanov, CEO of Dost Bikes responded: “As a proud Canadian company based near Vancouver, it has been troubling to hear of recent, tragic reports of fires caused by the explosion of lithium batteries used in e-bikes and e-scooters in the area.

“The vast majority of accidents have occurred with non-compliant batteries or with batteries used improperly such as when: they are overcharged; they are tampered with or damaged; different chargers other than the one provided by the manufacturer are used; people make their own batteries (yes, this is a thing) or combine components; and lower-quality batteries are used.”

In the simplest terms, lithium-ion batteries used in most e-bikes and e-scooters can explode when the flow of ions have become abnormal or unstable, possibly due to issues mentioned above like a damaged or overheated battery caused by overcharging. There is also the possibility of explosion due to contaminants within the battery, usually a result of improper manufacturing, he said.

“Given the rise in reported battery explosions, our friends at Human Powered Solutions recently published a paper documenting the proper ways to store and charge lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes. Here are some key takeaways:

“When it comes to storage: install a smoke detector near the battery-charging station or storage area; don’t store or charge battery packs that have been damaged; keep batteries at room temperature, out of direct sunlight to prevent overheating; and don’t store your battery or bike by a single exit point.

“When it comes to charging: only charge batteries with the correct charger supplied by the manufacturer; buy only high-quality batteries, preferably from the e-bike manufacturer; never charge a lithium-ion battery pack overnight or unattended; and monitor charging batteries at all times, disconnect the battery when it is done charging and store it in a safe place.

“In an emergency: if a battery starts smoking, emitting unusual noises or showing signs of melting, place the battery in a safe place; call the fire department; and keep a fire extinguisher nearby in the event the battery ignites something else.

“At Dost, we use only the highest quality cell batteries from Samsung and LG, and undergo all necessary tests and precautions to ensure full compliance with all regulations in North America.”

J.P. Squire, aka the Hiking, Biking, Kayaking and Horseback-riding Sheriff, is a retired journalist.

Email: jp.squire@telus.net

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