OCFA warns of growing lithium‑ion battery fire risk; urges safer charging and storage

Division Chief Matt Sheets of the Orange County Fire Authority on April 28 briefed the Cypress City Council on rising firefighter and public safety concerns involving lithium‑ion battery fires, particularly from e‑bikes and aftermarket chargers.

Sheets said lithium‑ion batteries can burn at temperatures “up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit,” produce toxic gases, and may rekindle days after apparent extinguishment. “They burn extremely hot … produce a considerable amount of poison gas and smoke,” Sheets said, and described the phenomenon of thermal runaway in multi‑cell packs and the need for specialized response tactics.

Sheets described operational challenges: battery fires can shower molten metal, may rekindle up to seven days, and have required crews to submerge damaged electric vehicles in water containers as a mitigation strategy — with unresolved disposal and environmental concerns. He said OCFA investigators see a lithium‑ion battery fire about every 48 to 72 hours, with e‑bike fires in garages the most common calls.

Recommended safety measures included: use only chargers and batteries listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, use the charger supplied by the device manufacturer, avoid charging unattended overnight, store e‑bikes and batteries away from exit doors and major structures, and recycle batteries rather than throwing them in the trash.

Council members asked about school‑based education; Sheets said middle and high school outreach would be appropriate because many incidents involve youth riding and damaging batteries. Councilmember Chang offered to coordinate with Cypress PD to host safety content on a forthcoming e‑bike safety web page.

Ending: OCFA provided pamphlets and posted guidance on its website; councilmembers and staff offered to help distribute educational materials to schools and community groups.