A year-on-year rise in volatile lithium-ion battery fires has prompted a new safety campaign aiming to reverse the concerning trend by South Australia's fire services.
Lithium-ion battery fires are a rapidly increasing fire threat to South Australians and are commonly found in household items such as mobile phones and rechargeable toys and tools.
Over the past five years, MFS callouts to fires caused by lithium-ion batteries have increased nearly ten-fold – with the leading cause linked to mobility devices such as e-bikes and e-scooters.
In the first half of 2025, the MFS has already responded to more than half of last year's total related cases – sparking fears of an unwanted new record.
Many of these incidents involve the improper use of charging equipment or individuals attempting to build or modify battery packs to boost performance.
Of the 39 incidents responded to by MFS and CFS across the state between January and June this year, around one-in-four were linked to mobility devices, including structure fires at Croydon Park, Adelaide CBD and Hackham.
In response, both emergency services agencies have launched a joint two-month campaign to help households prevent blazes and highlight the deadly risk posed when using lithium-ion batteries incorrectly.
The state's consumer watchdog, Consumer and Business Services, supports the campaign and has issued multiple warnings to consumers about these batteries. A 92 per cent increase in reported lithium-ion incidents including swelling, overheating and fires nationally was reported by the ACCC in 2022.
South Australians are urged to:
- Never build their own batteries or battery packs – including adding multiple batteries together.
- Use compatible, compliant chargers and avoid mixing and matches different brands.
- Charge larger devices, such as e-bikes and e-scooters, outside and away from combustible materials and not in hallways and room entry/exit points.
- Charge batteries on a hard non-flammable surface like tiles or concrete.
- Disconnect products as soon as they are fully charged.
- Purchase new lithium-ion batteries or devices from reputable suppliers and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
- Regularly check batteries for signs of damage including cracking, denting, swelling and leaking, as well as heating up or emitting smoke.
- Safely dispose of batteries at an approved recycling facility.
Never touch, move or try to extinguish a lithium-ion battery fire. No matter how small the fire might seem, the risk of explosion and release of toxic vapours and gases is high. Evacuate immediately and call 000 (Triple Zero).
For more information on the campaign visit: mfs.sa.gov.au/news/lithium-ion-battery-awareness or for product safety tips: cbs.sa.gov.au/campaigns/lithium-ion-batteries
As put by Andrea Michaels
With more electronic devices in our homes than ever before, it is so important to be vigilant and understand how to safely use lithium-ion batteries.
I know firsthand that these batteries can be dangerous after I had a fire sparked by an electric scooter charging in my home a few years ago.
I urge South Australians to be careful when using these batteries and follow the safety advice.
As put by MFS Chief Officer Jeff Swann
When lithium-ion batteries are not used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, are tampered with or are damaged, they can become extremely volatile. Without warning they can burst violently, releasing toxic and flammable gases, which can lead to intense fires and explosions.
Our firefighters are increasingly attending fires where occupants have had near misses, and it is only a matter of time until someone gets seriously injured or killed. We implore the community not to tamper with battery packs, and to ensure the charging units are compatible with the batteries.
As put by CFS Executive Director Operations Brenton Hastie
CFS volunteers are increasingly responding to fires involving lithium-ion batteries, often caused by unsafe charging practices such as unattended charging, overcharging, or using non-approved chargers.
For their own safety, we urge the community to disconnect devices once fully charged, use only manufacturer-approved charging equipment and dispose of batteries correctly if they are cracked, dented, swollen, leaking, overheating or emitting smoke.
Damaged or used batteries can be correctly disposed of at battery recycling points or you can contact your local council for disposal advice.
Caption: Damage caused by a lithium-ion battery at the Minister's home in 2020.
