E-bikes and e-scooters have transformed the way Australians commute, exercise and run deliveries. But the same lithium-ion batteries that make these vehicles so convenient are now the fastest-growing fire risk in homes across the country — and the data from 2025 makes uncomfortable reading. If you charge or store an e-bike or e-scooter at home, in a workshop or in an apartment block, a purpose-built fire containment blanket is one of the simplest and most affordable layers of protection you can put in place today.

The numbers behind a growing crisis

Source: Australian Computer Society (2025), citing Fire and Rescue NSW data.

Lithium-ion battery fires in New South Wales have climbed sharply for three years running, with e-bikes and e-scooters making up the single largest category (Australian Computer Society, 2025). FRNSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell has warned that these fires are now happening to households almost every day, and that people are still taking dangerous risks while charging devices at home (Environment Protection Authority NSW, 2025).

The trend has not slowed. In the first six weeks of 2025 alone, FRNSW responded to 25 lithium-ion battery fires, including 13 in a single fortnight and four within a 12-hour period (International Fire & Safety Journal, 2025). In one south-west Sydney incident, an e-scooter exploded and caught fire, injuring two men, with investigators pointing to an incorrect charger used on a modified device — two of the most common causes of these fires (Environment Protection Authority NSW, 2025).

FRNSW's 2024–2025 annual reporting confirms where the danger concentrates: e-mobility devices such as e-bikes and e-scooters were the leading source of the battery fires crews attended that year, ahead of small portable devices like laptops and standalone battery chargers (NRMA, 2025). Tragically, NSW recorded its first two deaths linked to lithium-ion battery fires in 2024, and FRNSW data shows people are roughly four times more likely to be injured in a battery-related fire than in fires generally (Storemasta, 2025).

This is not just an Australian problem. London recorded its highest-ever number of e-bike and e-scooter fires in 2025, with firefighters there attending one such fire every other day on average (London Fire Brigade, 2026), underlining how universal the risk has become as micromobility adoption accelerates.

Why lithium-ion fires are different

A lithium-ion battery fire is not a normal fire, and that is exactly why ordinary household equipment so often fails against it. When a cell is damaged, overcharged or poorly manufactured, it can enter thermal runaway: a self-sustaining chain reaction in which one overheating cell ignites the next, producing intense heat, flammable and toxic gases, and a real risk of explosion (CROSS Safety Report, 2025).

These fires burn far hotter than a typical house fire, releasing dangerous gases such as hydrogen fluoride and carbon monoxide, and they can reignite hours or even days after they appear to be out (CROSS Safety Report, 2025). That combination of extreme heat, toxic smoke, reignition and explosion risk is what makes early containment and rapid evacuation so important.

What causes most e-bike and e-scooter fires

Understanding the triggers is the first step to preventing them. Australian and international fire authorities consistently point to a small set of recurring causes: cheap, uncertified or counterfeit batteries; using the wrong charger; modifying devices with mismatched or aftermarket parts; physical damage to the battery; overcharging; and storing or charging batteries in unsafe locations such as on beds, lounges or in escape routes (CROSS Safety Report, 2025; Environment Protection Authority NSW, 2025).

New NSW rules came into force in 2025

Recognising the scale of the problem, the NSW Government introduced Australia's most comprehensive regulatory regime for e-micromobility devices, with the first stage of mandatory product safety standards taking effect on 1 February 2025. From that date, e-bikes, e-scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards sold in NSW must be built with compliant batteries, chargers and components, with further mandatory testing and certification requirements rolling out from August 2025 and labelling requirements from February 2026 (NSW Government, 2025). According to the latest FRNSW data cited by the government, e-micromobility vehicles caused 193 fires between 2022 and 2025, with the annual rate continuing to climb (NSW Government, 2025).

Buying a certified device and using only the manufacturer's original charger dramatically lowers your risk. But regulation reduces risk; it does not eliminate it — especially for the millions of older, modified or imported devices already in Australian homes.

Where a fire blanket fits into your safety plan

At the same time, certification bodies such as UL Solutions have invested heavily in 2025 in new standards for battery containment products — precisely because containing the fire, limiting its spread and reducing flying debris buys critical time and protects surrounding property (UL Solutions, 2025).

That is exactly the role a quality fire containment blanket plays. Used correctly, a purpose-built blanket can:

• Slow the spread of flames to nearby furniture, walls, vehicles and stock.
• Reduce radiant heat and shrapnel risk while you get clear of the danger.
• Buy precious minutes for everyone to evacuate and for Fire and Rescue to arrive.

Our EV Fire Blankets for E-Bike and E-Scooter Lithium-Ion Battery Fires are sized at 2m x 2m, weigh just 2.2kg, and are tested to the European EN 13501 fire safety standard. Because there is currently no dedicated Australian Standard for lithium-ion battery fires, EN 13501 testing gives you a recognised, rigorous benchmark for performance and durability. The blanket deploys quickly, stores compactly in a garage, workshop or apartment, and is built to withstand extreme heat.

How to use a fire blanket safely

A blanket is one layer of a broader plan. If an e-bike or e-scooter battery catches fire:

1. Call Triple Zero (000) immediately. Equipment buys time; it does not replace firefighters.
2. Only attempt to cover a small, early-stage fire if it is safe to do so. Deployment is easier and safer with two people and takes around 60–90 seconds with practice.
3. If the fire is large, spreading, or you feel unsafe, get out, stay out, and wait for emergency services. Never put yourself between the device and your exit.
4. Do not assume the danger has passed. Lithium-ion batteries can reignite, so keep well clear until crews confirm the area is safe.

Pair your blanket with sensible prevention: buy certified devices, charge on a hard non-combustible surface away from exits and flammable materials, never charge unattended overnight, use only the original charger, and stop using any battery that swells, smells, overheats or has been damaged.

Be prepared before it happens

Battery fires are sudden, fast and unforgiving — but they are also largely preventable, and far more survivable when you have the right equipment within reach. With thousands of these fires now occurring across Australia every year, preparation is no longer optional for e-bike and e-scooter owners, strata managers, workshops and fleet operators.

Stay safe. Stay prepared.