Home EV & Lithium Battery Fire Safety
Whether you charge your EV in the garage, your teenager rides an e-scooter, or you have an e-bike in the shed — lithium-ion batteries are in your home. Here's what you need to know to keep your family safe.
lithium battery fires in 2025
start in the garage
in the average Australian home
while unattended
Lithium Battery Fire Risks at Home
You don't need to be afraid of your EV or e-bike — but you do need to understand the risks and take simple precautions. Lithium-ion battery fires are rare, but when they happen they're fast, intense, and toxic. A few smart steps make a big difference.
Garage Charging Safety
Your garage is now the most common room for lithium battery fires to start — accounting for 32% of incidents according to Allianz. If you charge your EV, e-bike, or e-scooter in the garage, make sure you have a working smoke or heat alarm installed there. FRNSW specifically recommends this for any garage where lithium-ion devices are charged.
E-Bike & E-Scooter Safety
E-bikes and e-scooters are behind a significant proportion of lithium battery fires in Australia. The biggest risk factors are using non-approved chargers, modifying batteries to boost performance, and charging unattended or overnight. Always use the manufacturer's charger, charge on a hard non-flammable surface, and never leave charging devices unattended.
Smoke & Heat Alarms
FRNSW recommends installing smoke or heat alarms in garages where EVs or lithium-ion devices are charged. Most garages don't have them. Interconnected alarms are best — so if the garage alarm triggers, it wakes you up in the bedroom. This simple step could save your family's life.
What to Do If a Battery Catches Fire
Do not try to fight a lithium-ion battery fire yourself. Get everyone out of the house, close doors behind you, move at least 25 metres away, and call 000. Tell them it's a lithium battery fire. The smoke is extremely toxic — even a small device fire produces hydrogen fluoride and carbon monoxide. Get out and stay out.
Safe Charging Practices
Charge devices in a well-ventilated area on a hard, non-flammable surface. Never charge on carpet, bedding, or wooden surfaces. Unplug when fully charged. Never charge damaged batteries or devices that are swollen, hot, or making unusual sounds. Buy replacement chargers and batteries from the original manufacturer only.
Safe Disposal
Never put lithium-ion batteries in your household bin — they can cause fires in rubbish trucks and recycling facilities. Take used or damaged batteries to a designated drop-off point such as your local council recycling centre, Officeworks, or a B-cycle drop-off location.
Why Standard Fire Systems Aren't Enough
A lithium-ion battery fire at home is different from a normal house fire. It's faster, hotter, more toxic, and harder to put out. Your standard kitchen fire extinguisher won't work. Here's why having the right equipment matters.
Extreme Temperatures
Thermal runaway exceeds 1,000°C — far beyond what standard sprinkler systems are designed to suppress.
Toxic Gas Production
Hydrogen fluoride, carbon monoxide, and other lethal gases are produced — a critical danger in enclosed spaces.
Cell-to-Cell Spread
Thermal runaway cascades from cell to cell within the battery pack, causing prolonged and intensifying burning.
Standard Extinguishers Fail
Water, foam, CO₂, and dry powder extinguishers are ineffective at the cellular level of a lithium-ion fire.
48-Hour Reignition Risk
A fire that appears extinguished can reignite up to 48 hours later as cells continue to thermally decompose.
Massive Water Demand
Firefighters may need 30,000+ litres of water to cool an EV battery fire — a major challenge in enclosed facilities.
Recommended for Home Fire Safety Package
You don't need to spend thousands to protect your home. Here's what we recommend for any household with EVs, e-bikes, e-scooters, or other lithium-ion battery devices.
Home EV Fire Safety Essentials
EV Fire Blanket
For homes with an EV charging in the garage, a fire blanket stored on the garage wall gives you or firefighters the ability to contain a fire quickly. For e-bikes and e-scooters, a smaller format blanket provides affordable protection. Stored near your charging point for instant access.
Lithium-Ion Fire Extinguisher (1L Compact)
A compact, affordable extinguisher designed specifically for lithium-ion battery fires. Keep one near your e-bike or e-scooter charging area. Standard household fire extinguishers are not effective on battery fires.
Smoke or Heat Alarm in Your Garage
If you don't already have one, install a smoke or heat alarm where you charge your EV or lithium-ion devices. Choose an interconnected alarm so it triggers alarms throughout your house — waking you up if a fire starts overnight in the garage.
Know Your Emergency Plan
Make sure everyone in your household knows: if you see smoke or fire from a battery device, get out, close doors, go at least 25 metres away, and call 000 specifying it's a lithium battery fire. Don't try to fight it — the smoke alone is life-threatening.
Free Download: Home EV Fire Safety Checklist
A simple one-page checklist covering garage charging safety, smoke alarm placement, safe charging practices, emergency planning, and what to do if a battery catches fire. Print it and stick it on your garage wall.
Download Free GuideEvery Situation Is Different
Not sure what you need? Whether you've just bought an EV, your kid has an e-scooter, or you're setting up a home charging station — we can help you find the right fire safety products for your situation.
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