The hidden fire hazard lurking in your favourite gadgets, experts warn
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Household safety is often something we take for granted, but lurking within our everyday routines can be risks we never imagined.
A seemingly harmless habit involving a common device has become a growing cause for concern, leaving experts sounding the alarm.
What’s behind this unexpected danger, and why are firefighters urging Australians to take notice?
Firefighters issued a warning against using mismatched chargers for lithium-ion batteries, highlighting the risk of fire or explosion.
Data from the fire department revealed that lithium-ion batteries were responsible for 183 fires across Queensland last year, marking an increase from previous years.
Head of the Queensland Fire Investigation Unit, Daren Mallouk, identified incompatible chargers as a major risk factor for fires involving e-scooters and e-bikes.
‘If you’re charging the device with a charger that isn’t designed to charge that device so it’s charging at a higher voltage, [more] often than not, that will cause problems straight away or cause problems down the track,’ Mr Mallouk said.
‘One of the biggest reasons we see for these failures is people using the incorrect charger.’
‘It sends [devices] into what they call thermal runaway, the way they catch fire and how volatile they are once they ignite.’
Thermal runaway occurs when lithium-ion battery cells overheat and explode.
According to Mr Mallouk, these fires are particularly difficult to extinguish.
‘Once that thermal runaway starts, the average person won’t be able to extinguish it,’ he said.
‘So using your normal fire extinguishers and blankets will buy you time to get out of the house … and it may extinguish the fire momentarily, but there’s a very high risk it will reignite.’
A coroner determined last year that a young Queensland man lost his life due to a lithium-ion battery fire in an e-scooter connected to an incompatible charger in 2022.
The coroner’s findings stated the fatality was most likely caused by an ‘uncontrolled thermal runaway event’ involving a Zero 10 model electric scooter paired with a Nami Burn e-scooter charger.
Lithium-ion batteries were found to have caused hundreds of fires in Queensland over recent years.
There were 129 fires in 2023 and 97 in 2022, showing a rising trend.
Firefighters expressed concern that the number of incidents could continue to increase as devices powered by lithium-ion batteries grow in popularity.
Mr Mallouk cautioned against purchasing cheap or second-hand devices.
‘We’re seeing a lot of e-scooters being bought [social media] marketplace,’ he said.
He noted the difficulty in knowing the history of these devices.
‘Many of these are being sold without chargers or people [are] buying a [new] charger, but it’s not the charger that was designed for that particular scooter,’ he said.
He advised using chargers with a regulatory compliance mark, as they meet Australian electrical safety regulations and are deemed safe.
Could something as simple as the wrong charger be putting your safety at risk? Share your thoughts or experiences in the comments below.
A seemingly harmless habit involving a common device has become a growing cause for concern, leaving experts sounding the alarm.
What’s behind this unexpected danger, and why are firefighters urging Australians to take notice?
Firefighters issued a warning against using mismatched chargers for lithium-ion batteries, highlighting the risk of fire or explosion.
Data from the fire department revealed that lithium-ion batteries were responsible for 183 fires across Queensland last year, marking an increase from previous years.
Head of the Queensland Fire Investigation Unit, Daren Mallouk, identified incompatible chargers as a major risk factor for fires involving e-scooters and e-bikes.
‘If you’re charging the device with a charger that isn’t designed to charge that device so it’s charging at a higher voltage, [more] often than not, that will cause problems straight away or cause problems down the track,’ Mr Mallouk said.
‘One of the biggest reasons we see for these failures is people using the incorrect charger.’
‘It sends [devices] into what they call thermal runaway, the way they catch fire and how volatile they are once they ignite.’
Thermal runaway occurs when lithium-ion battery cells overheat and explode.
According to Mr Mallouk, these fires are particularly difficult to extinguish.
‘Once that thermal runaway starts, the average person won’t be able to extinguish it,’ he said.
‘So using your normal fire extinguishers and blankets will buy you time to get out of the house … and it may extinguish the fire momentarily, but there’s a very high risk it will reignite.’
A coroner determined last year that a young Queensland man lost his life due to a lithium-ion battery fire in an e-scooter connected to an incompatible charger in 2022.
The coroner’s findings stated the fatality was most likely caused by an ‘uncontrolled thermal runaway event’ involving a Zero 10 model electric scooter paired with a Nami Burn e-scooter charger.
Lithium-ion batteries were found to have caused hundreds of fires in Queensland over recent years.
There were 129 fires in 2023 and 97 in 2022, showing a rising trend.
Firefighters expressed concern that the number of incidents could continue to increase as devices powered by lithium-ion batteries grow in popularity.
Mr Mallouk cautioned against purchasing cheap or second-hand devices.
‘We’re seeing a lot of e-scooters being bought [social media] marketplace,’ he said.
He noted the difficulty in knowing the history of these devices.
‘Many of these are being sold without chargers or people [are] buying a [new] charger, but it’s not the charger that was designed for that particular scooter,’ he said.
He advised using chargers with a regulatory compliance mark, as they meet Australian electrical safety regulations and are deemed safe.
Could something as simple as the wrong charger be putting your safety at risk? Share your thoughts or experiences in the comments below.
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