After subway e-bike blaze, Toronto fire chief shares tips to avoid battery fires
CBC
Toronto's fire chief is sharing safety tips to avoid fires sparked by lithium ion batteries after a subway train was evacuated when an e-bike caught fire on Sunday.
A man suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the fire at Sheppard-Yonge subway station around 3 p.m. Sunday, which filled several subway cars with smoke. No one else was injured and trains were moving through the station again about an hour later.
The fire was filmed by bystanders and shared on social media. Lithium ion batteries are rechargeable batteries that pack enough energy to power small electric vehicles.
Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg told reporters Tuesday that the battery ignited into a "significant and aggressive fire" only seconds after it started to emit visible gasses, which is typical of the battery type.
Pegg says fires started by lithium ion batteries increased significantly in 2023. In 2022, there were 29 fires in Toronto started by lithium ion batteries, in 2023 that number increased to 55 — a nearly 90 per cent increase. He noted the batteries are safe when used properly, but their failure can pose an immediate risk to people in the area.
"We have already experienced both loss of life and critical injuries as a result of these fires here in Toronto," Pegg said.
Lithium ion fires were a growing concern prior to Sunday's subway fire. In October, the Office of the Fire Marshal told CBC Toronto it has also noticed an increase in lithium ion battery fires provincewide. At the time, CBC Toronto spoke to experts who explained how people can best avoid a fire sparked by their battery.
Asked if the TTC might crack down on lithium ion powered vehicles being brought on trains following the fire, a spokesperson said the transit agency will determine next steps after it has a clearer understanding of what happened Sunday.
"We are examining similar incidents of e-bike fires that have occurred on transit systems in North America and Europe," spokesperson Adrian Grundy said in an email.
Pegg says the fire department has created an internal working group that has developed operational policies for responding to these types of fires. The department is also developing a safety campaign that will launch in 2024.
For those with lithium ion batteries in their devices, Pegg shared the following fire safety tips:
Pegg also said people should stop using a battery if the following happens:
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