Lithium-ion battery fires have killed five people in Vancouver this year, officials said.
The latest death came on Saturday after an explosion and fire believed to be caused by an electronic bicycle battery at the Empress Hotel, SRO in Downtown Eastside.
“(The victim) was just sitting in the wrong place at the wrong time and fell out the window because of the explosion,” Assistant Chief Walter Pereira told CTV News.
“Either he lost his footing or he was sent out the window due to the ensuing explosion.
Members of the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Service held a press conference Monday to draw attention to what they called an “alarming upward trend” in fires – both fatal and non-fatal – caused by these batteries.
Captain Matthew Trudeau said the number of fires caused by these batteries has jumped 500 percent since 2016. Lithium-ion batteries are used to power electronic scooters and bicycles, but also laptops and mobile phones.
“We have seen several fires in which recharging was one of the problems with these batteries,” he explained.
“Depending on the type of lithium ion, we see a thermal escape effect that can be caused chemically inside them, making it extremely dangerous and difficult to extinguish, where simply placing water on them is not an effective extinguishing agent. “
Lithium-ion battery fires are the number one cause of death in Vancouver by 2022. This year, 5 people have already died. Never recharge, modify or leave unattended during charging. Always use spare parts approved by the manufacturer.
– Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services (@VanFireRescue) June 13, 2022
Although recharging is one of the dangers, Trudeau said “modifying” batteries is also something they see as a contributing factor to these fires. Damaged cables and chargers also make a fire more likely, he added.
The danger, according to Trudeau, is not necessarily the type of battery or device for which it is used.
“It’s really about safe handling and care,” he said.
Chief Karen Fry provided details of the other four people who were killed this year. She confirmed that a fire in January that killed three members of a family – a child under 10, their mother and grandfather – was caused by one of these batteries. A fire in the city’s West End apartment the next day was also ignited by a lithium-ion battery.
She said the number of people who have died so far in 2022 due to these battery fires is the same as the total number of deaths in the city throughout 2021. This, according to Fry, is one of the reasons for the warning issued. now.
“Where we are sitting right now, we are in big trouble, aren’t we? We need to educate. We need to protect and we need to save lives,” she said.
“It’s something we see more and more use in our community and something we really need to pay attention to.”
Fry also estimated that the crews were being called to a fire caused by one of these batteries “every few days.”
There have been seven deaths in the city this year, both not caused by battery fires when the Winters Hotel burned down in April. The two bodies were not found until the demolition of the building began, 11 days after the flames engulfed the building.
Safety tips for using and storing lithium-ion batteries can be found online.
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