The Growing Danger of Lithium-Ion Battery Fires

0:00 Speaker 1 Sunday morning, with us today is Chief Fire Marshal Michael Kavanaugh, and he reports to the fire commissioner. And we heard that lithium battery problems in our city are up, up, and up. And Fire Marshal Kavanaugh, tell us what the heck is going on. Sure, John.

0:21 Speaker 2 Thanks for having me. We are seeing an uptick in the incidents involving lithium-ion batteries in 2026, where just over 400 fires were related to lithium-ion battery fires, compared to last year where we saw just under 300.

0:34 Speaker 1 Understood. And what is causing that? I mean, I thought, I mean, last year everybody says we’re going to be more careful, we’re putting out more, you know, notices. What’s going wrong?

0:53 Speaker 2 So we’re continuing our safety messaging and getting that messaging out to New York City residents. But these lithium ion batteries, they’re a part of everyday life, especially in the e-bikes and the scooters. And problems can arise when they have defective products, damaged batteries, if they’re improperly charged or somebody uses an incompatible charger or make unsafe modifications to these products.

1:17 So we want to make sure that we have safe products, safe charging practices and safe storage. What we are seeing, John, is that the incidence of non-structural fires, fires that are outside of buildings and homes, that’s what’s risen significantly. So it appears that our messaging about storing and charging the batteries outside is working. We just want to ensure that

1:38 people continue to follow that and dispose of these products properly because we’re seeing them occurring in garbage and in the back of sanitation hoppers.

1:47 Speaker 1 Understood. What should people be doing? What should they watch out for? Is there a label that you have to watch out for? What is causing the problems, doing it indoors versus outdoors?

2:03 Speaker 2 Well, I don’t think indoors versus outdoors is the problem. It’s always safer to try to do these things outside, charging and storing. Listen, we want to recommend to people, again, use certified batteries. with safety certifications such as UL, follow the manufacturer-recommended battery process and charger, never use the damaged battery or incompatible batteries, and don’t charge while sleeping or

2:31 away from the device.

2:34 Speaker 1 Understood. In other words, you shouldn’t charge it indoors and while you’re sleeping because if there’s a problem, then you might not wake up in time. Exactly, John. Exactly.

2:47 Speaker 2 So listen, we want to recognize the warning signs. We want to let people know if they have a battery that’s swelling, if it’s leaking, if it’s unusually hot or giving off strange odors, hissing or smoking, stop using the battery immediately. We want to make sure they evacuate and call 911. Stop using the battery immediately.

3:06 Speaker 1 Understood.

3:07 Speaker 2 Don’t try to repair it. Dismantle it yourself.

3:10 Speaker 1 Anything else you want to tell all Americans, all New Yorkers?

3:16 Speaker 2 Well, John, just remember these things. We want to make sure that New Yorkers are buying properly certified batteries. Use the manufacturer’s recommended charger. Again, don’t charge or store these e-bikes or scooters where they can block an exit. You don’t want to block your regress. And never leave a battery charging while you’re sleeping or away. We want to

3:35 make sure our fellow New Yorkers are safe. If they follow the safety messaging FDNY continues to put out, they can go to FDNYsmart.com. dot org for further information. And we want everybody to stay safe. And I appreciate you having me on today.

3:52 Speaker 1 Thank you, Chief Fire Marshal Michael Cavanaugh. Thank you so much for coming on. And please thank your fire commissioner, Lillian Monsignore, too, that always works with us, too.

4:06 Speaker 2 Of course, you know, I will. Thank you again, John. Thank you.