London lithium-ion battery fires nearly double in one year

Lithium-ion battery fires in London increased by 79% over the past year, nearly doubling the rate of incidents and costing the capital more than £1 million. Data from 11 London boroughs shows that battery-related fires in bin lorries, waste sites, or recycling centres occurred weekly, averaging one incident every seven days.

Research indicates that councils offering kerbside collection for small electrical items and batteries recorded 33% fewer fires than those without such services. In London, only one in three reporting councils provides this collection method. Lambeth, Tower Hamlets, and Merton have been identified as the boroughs with the highest number of waste fires over the last five years.

In a separate recent incident in south London, a lithium-ion vape battery caused an accidental fire in a six-storey residential block on Woolwich Common, destroying half of a three-bedroom flat. The London Fire Brigade has issued safety warnings, advising residents to use genuine chargers, avoid leaving devices on charge overnight, and never dispose of batteries in household bins, as crushing or puncturing them can lead to overheating and ignition.