Authorities say a trio of fires in Toronto over the past 24 hours were caused by batteries.
Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop discussed the recent incidents while speaking to CP24 on Wednesday. He says the latest fire, which occurred in a building on George Street near Dundas and Jarvis, left one person with burns and led to two more being treated for smoke inhalation.
Jessop noted that this fire involved the lithium-ion batteries in more than 10 e-bikes and mobile devices in the building. He added that the two other fires that happened over the past day, which were in Etobicoke and Scarborough, were also caused by lithium-ion batteries.
In the CP24 interview, Jessop called for regulatory change in Canada because these lithium-ion batteries are sold here but “are not required to meet a standard.” He cited these batteries as the “greatest evolving fire safety risk in Canada’s largest city” and the “primary reason why we have seen a well over 200 per cent increase in fires in the last number of years.” He added that the batteries pose additional health risks for firefighters due to the carcinogens in their heavy metals.
While he isn’t pushing for a ban on lithium-ion batteries, he hopes that the City of Toronto, federal government and Fire Marshal’s Office of Ontario will work with firefighters to develop potential amendments to the fire code.
Lithium-ion batteries are found in many products, including phones, laptops, toys, power tools and e-bikes. Given that ubiquity, there are naturally many scenarios in which they could cause fires.
On its website, Health Canada advises you to store your lithium-ion batteries at room temperature, in a dry location and out of sight and reach from children. It adds that you should carry the batteries in a protective, non-metal case when travelling with them.
Health Canada also warns to not leave batteries out in the sun or in a hot or cold car, as well as to prevent moisture from forming on either end of the battery’s terminals.
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