Firefighters say they fear being ‘“overwhelmed” by increasing numbers of battery fires, after the death of a Sydney man in a house fire on Saturday night was linked to toxic smoke from burning lithium batteries.
The 54-year-old man was eating downstairs in his Punchbowl unit in Sydney’s west with two women when the fire broke out. He tried to extinguish the blaze with a fire extinguisher, but when firefighters arrived he was found unconscious on his bathroom floor with soot on his mouth, having inhaled toxic smoke.
Firefighters performed CPR on the man until paramedics arrived, but his injuries were too severe and he did not survive.
While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, four lithium ion batteries were found in the home.
The incident has highlighted a growing concern about the rate of lithium battery fires, firefighters said.
Lithium battery fires are caused by a chemical reaction inside the battery that produces an intense flame that is hard to extinguish and produces toxic gases.
New South Wales Fire and Rescue Supt Andrew Shurety said he couldn’t put a specific number on how often fire crews were being called to lithium battery fires, but that it was a “marked increase” with “a number of fires including the fatal one last night”.
“I’ve been a firefighter for over 30 years and I’ve never seen anything like this. In my personal opinion we’re going to be overwhelmed by it, which will be quite shocking to the community, unless we start taking precautions,” Shurety said.
A spokesperson for Fire and Rescue Victoria said the service was also aware of the issue.
“Lithium ion batteries, although great for our lifestyle, pose a fire risk if damaged, are used incorrectly or are not maintained,” they said.
“Fire Rescue Victoria implore people to use reputable brands in line with manufacturer specifications.”
In July, an e-scooter in Wentworth, Sydney caused a fire which gutted a unit and in January five people in Brisbane were injured when an e-scooter caught fire inside a home.
As of July 2023, firefighters in Western Australia had responded to 32 battery lithium fires and in the ACT eight fires were attributed to e-scooter batteries in Canberra.
It is believed that electric vehicle lithium battery fires are rare, with only four known to date, but United Firefighters Union Australia flagged the issue as an emerging problem in March.
Superintendent Shurety said that like other fire risks, people should take precautions about how and when they charge lithium batteries, including avoiding overcharging them, avoiding flammable locations like a bed and using reputable brands.
“We see fires start from cheap brands that come in as import without warranties,” he said.
NSW Fire and Rescue has published detailed information on its website outlining precautions that can be taken.
