2025 Fire Prevention Week | 10 Lithium Ion Safety Tips

Electrical Fires in homes are only becoming more common, and you need to take action to prevent them.

This is exactly why Fire Prevention Week 2025 (Oct 5-11) has the theme "Charge into Fire Safety" and is all about lithium-ion batteries.

 

Table of Contents:

• Lithium Ion Battery Fire Risk Facts
• Fire Fighter Stories
• Tips to Prevent Fires

The Facts of the Matter: Electrical Home Fires

The US Fire Administration reports that electrical malfunction fires have increased 2% since 2014. That may not sound like a lot, but it has led to a 28% increase in dollar loss even accounting for inflation.

In every home throughout the United States, it is safe to say that there is at least one Lithium Ion Battery. You can find them in smartphones, laptops, cameras. They are also in trending products like electric cars, e-bikes, and e-scooters. If something can recharge, it probably uses lithium ion batteries.

There are laws around air travel with lithium ion batteries. To bring a lithium ion battery, or even a product containing one, on a plane it must be kept in a carryon bag, and NOT in a checked bag. This is because the risk of the battery overheating/catching fire is too high.

 

Stories From FireAvert - Lithium Ion Batteries

This is a story from a FireAvert employee named Steven

"I'm someone who loves listening to videos or music as I fall asleep. It used to be part of my nightly routine to press play on a video or playlist, plug in my phone, and lay it on the bed where I could hear it.

Early one morning, probably close to 4am, I woke up to the sound of my smoke alarm sounding. As I opened my eyes I realized my room was getting smoky so I reached instinctually for my phone and to figure out what was happening.

As I grabbed my phone a felt a sharp pain in my hand and I looked down to see melted plastic burning my hand.

My phones battery had overheated and was melting through my phone and had started a small fire on my pillowcase and bedsheets.

I put out the burning items with a blanket, and rushed upstairs to get my melting phone outside before the dripping plastic got everywhere or reignited anything in my room.

I am super grateful that I had a working smoke alarm that woke me up before the fire really started or spread. It's incredibly lucky that the only damage was crispy blankets, burnt bedsheets, one lost pillow, and a small burn on my hand from the melted plastic."

10 Tips to Prevent Lithium Ion Battery Fires

We know that fires can be dangerous, but hearing (or living) these experiences can motivate us to make changes to stay safe. Here are 10 tips you can follow to prevent fires:

1. Only use batteries designed for your specific device
2. Use the charging cord that came with your device
3. Don't use damaged or old batteries
4. Purchase certified products (UL, ETL, CSA)
5. Dispose of batteries in safe battery recycling locations
6. Don't overcharge your device
7. Keep batteries/devices in normal temperatures, not too high & not too cold
8. Keep batteries away from flammable materials
9. Charge e-bikes in a garage if possible
10. Have your home EV charging stations professionally installed

 

To learn more about preventing home fires check out this guide to prevent general electric fires: Prevent Electrical Fires

If you want to learn how to prevent the most common home fires check out this guide:
What to Do When There’s a Kitchen Fire: Ultimate Guide

 

30 More Tips to Prevent Lithium Ion Fires

10 tips was good, but 40 tips is better. Let's dive into pretty much every way you can prevent fires from Lithium Ion Batteries.

1. Follow all manufacturer instructions
2. Research products with lithium ion batteries before purchasing
3. Don't plug and forget devices
4. Charge devices on a flat hard surface
5. Do not charge a device under a pillow
6. Don’t charge a device on your bed
7. Don’t charge a device on a couch
8. Don’t charge devices next to the sink
9. Don’t charge devices next to cooking appliances
10. Don’t use damaged outlets or chargers
11. Don’t use overloaded circuits
12. Set up smart charging on your smart device
13. Stop using a battery/device if you notice a change in shape
14. Stop charging/using if the device or battery is getting too hot
15. Stop using device/battery if you notice an odor
16. Stop using device/battery if you notice a change in color
17. Stop charging if you hear noises
18. Charge e-bikes in a place it cannot fall
19. Charge e-bikes away from direct sunlight
20. Don’t charge e-bikes in the rain
21. Follow all e-bike tips with e-scooters as well
22. Don’t charge EVs in the rain
23. Inspect EV charging cables and outlets before charging
24. Only use approved cables/equipment for your EV model
25. Properly store charging equipment between charges
26. Charge power tools before use, not just when not in use
27. Remember that children’s toys use lithium ion batteries
28. Teach children about safe charging practices
29. Do not throw away devices in the garbage/recycling bin
30. Follow the pattern: Buy, Charge, Recycle (at approved locations)