The city of Montreal has seen a dramatic increase in the number of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries over the past year. A phenomenon that could be due to the huge popularity of electric bikes and scooters, which are increasingly visible on the streets of the metropolis.
Posted at 1:31 am. Updated at 5:00 p.m.
In its 2022 activity report, the Montreal Fire Department states that 24 fires were caused by lithium-ion batteries, but without providing further details. However, the document warns that “the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that are increasingly present in mobile phones, tablets, laptops, electric scooters, etc. can catch fire if used improperly”.
This is a significant increase compared to 2021, when only 7 fires attributed to lithium-ion batteries were observed. Between 2018 and 2020, 17 such fires were recorded in the city of Montreal, averaging 5.6 per year.
A similar phenomenon can be seen in several other major North American cities. Last March, the City of New York announced a plan to combat a significant increase in fires caused by lithium-ion batteries used in “micro-mobility devices.” In 2020, New York authorities recorded 44 such fires; in 2022 there were 220.
Between 2021 and 2022, the American metropolis also recorded 10 fatalities and 226 injuries in fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.
Lithium-ion battery explosion in New York
Fires caused by motor scooters or electric scooters are indeed spectacular and difficult to fight. “It is a fire that is very difficult to put out. You need a substance that cools the battery, you don’t just need water for that,” explains Jacques Bourdeau, safety engineer, in an interview with La Presse.
Because despite its many advantages, the lithium-ion battery has one major disadvantage: it tends to heat up, Mr. Bourdeau recalls. “The bigger the battery, the greater the risk. »
The fact that this type of battery is still very popular is because it also has many advantages. “It’s very light, it’s a battery that weighs nothing compared to the traditional lead-acid battery. In addition, the charge is retained for a very long time even when not in use,” notes Jacques Bourdeau.
His ideal domain [de la batterie lithium-ion], which are small electronic devices. The more we push [pour de plus gros appareils] and the greater the risk.
Jacques Bourdeau, safety engineer
In the case of electric cars, Mr Bourdeau points out that the risk can be better managed as the elements of the battery are not necessarily concentrated in the same place, unlike for example a scooter where everything is housed in the same space. restricted.
According to Jacques Bourdeau, the risk is higher when a lithium-ion battery is discharged below a certain threshold. “We mustn’t go too deep,” he says, without wanting to specify where this threshold lies. But the responsibility must lie with the manufacturers, he says, adding that there should be a warning if a scooter’s battery exceeds a critical threshold, for example.
Although driving an electric scooter is still strictly prohibited in Quebec, this type of vehicle has become increasingly popular in recent years.
A barn fire report
In 2022, the Montreal Fire Department (SIM) recorded 1,303 building fires, including 304 major fires. A balance slightly higher than that of 2021 (1,245 fires, including 278 major fires) but lower than that of 2020 (1,385 fires, including 317 major fires). A fire in Montreal killed 12 people in 2022, one fewer than in 2021.
It should be noted that more than 20% of fires caused by kitchen appliances occurred in the Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension districts.
In addition, the SIM responded to more than 118 emergency calls, including medical emergencies, alarm systems going off and of course building fires. In the vast majority of cases (85%), fires are caused by human error or improper use of equipment. Nearly 40% of fires start in the kitchen, the report said, and “one in four fires is caused by smoking materials or objects with open flames.”