Lithium-ion29 Sep 2026 · ITV News
Charging lithium-ion battery confirmed as cause of fatal Bootle house fire
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed that a lithium-ion battery went into thermal runaway while charging, causing the house fire in Bootle on 22 September. A mother and her three children died. The service has recorded 150 lithium-ion battery fires in Merseyside since April 2023, linked to five deaths.
What it means for youCharging is the highest-risk moment, at home and at work. Staff charging tools, scooters and e-bikes on site need a protected place to do it.
Read the source: ITV News →Waste & environment28 Sep 2026 · Renewable Energy Magazine
Discarded vapes linked to thousands of UK battery fires
Material Focus estimates more than 6.3 million vapes are still thrown away every week, despite the single-use vape ban. Vapes are linked to about 23% of tracked battery fires, and fires in the waste stream have risen 71% to more than 1,200 a year.
What it means for youBusinesses that collect or store spent batteries need segregated, protected storage until a licensed carrier collects them.
Read the source: Renewable Energy Magazine →Waste & environment2 Sep 2026 · SUEZ
SUEZ: two active battery fires a day across its sites
SUEZ's Health and Safety Director reports about two real fires a day across its UK operations. The Environmental Services Association now estimates battery fires cost the waste sector over £1 billion a year, up from £158 million in 2021.
What it means for youBattery fires cause pollution and operational losses, and the costs keep rising. Insurers are looking closely at how batteries are stored on site.
Read the source: SUEZ →Data11 May 2026 · Circular Online
UK fire services attend a lithium-ion fire every five hours
Freedom of Information data gathered by insurer QBE shows 1,760 battery-linked fires in 2025, or 4.8 a day. That is a 147% rise in three years. 23% of the fires were in commercial premises.
What it means for youAlmost one in four battery fires happens at work. Charging areas and battery rooms belong in your fire risk assessment.
Read the source: Circular Online →Incident13 Mar 2026 · Envirotec
Glasgow Central blaze started in a shop with a charging strip under the counter
More than 200 firefighters tackled a fire that began in a ground-floor vape shop beside Glasgow Central station on 8 March, closing Scotland's busiest station. An eyewitness described a charging adapter full of chargers under the counter. The cause is still under investigation.
What it means for youGuidance on storing and charging lithium-ion batteries in commercial premises is advisory, not statutory. A multi-socket charging point in a shop or store room is a fire risk that needs a plan.
Read the source: Envirotec →Machinery10 Mar 2026 · London Fire Brigade
Fire in external machine at Wembley warehouse
Four fire engines and about 25 firefighters attended a warehouse on Abbeydale Road, Wembley. About ten tonnes of carbon materials inside an external machine were damaged, along with part of the building's ducting. The fire was believed to be accidental.
What it means for youProcess machinery often runs unattended overnight. A fire inside the machine can spread to ducting and the building before anyone sees it.
Read the source: London Fire Brigade →Data28 Jan 2026 · London Fire Brigade
Record 206 e-bike and e-scooter fires in London in 2025
London Fire Brigade attended 206 e-bike and e-scooter fires in 2025, its highest total yet. That is about one every other day. Two people died, and the Brigade is calling for regulation.
What it means for youStaff and residents increasingly bring e-bike batteries indoors. Give them a safe place to charge.
Read the source: London Fire Brigade →Machinery26 Jan 2026 · DCD
Battery string fire brings 60 firefighters to London Docklands data centre
Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters were sent to a high-rise data centre building in Blackwall after one lead-acid battery failed in a battery room. The fire was limited to the battery string and no one was hurt.
What it means for youStandby power rooms (UPS batteries and generators) are a known ignition point. Room-flood suppression puts a fire out before it reaches the rest of the building.
Read the source: DCD →Data4 Dec 2025 · International Fire & Safety Journal
Industrial premises top England’s workplace fire figures
Analysis of Home Office data shows 13,172 fires in non-residential buildings in England in 2024/25. Industrial premises had the most workplace fires (1,656), followed by food and drink and retail. Hospitals and medical care premises had 433. Electrical distribution faults were the largest identified cause.
What it means for youIndustrial sites, hospitals and plant rooms carry the heaviest machinery fire risk. Suppression inside the equipment stops a fault becoming a building fire.
Read the source: International Fire & Safety Journal →No stories in this category yet.