Toronto fire officials are renewing warnings about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries used in electric bikes, with the city's fire chief pressing the federal government to bring in national rules. The concern is echoed at a local repair shop, where the owner says a damaged battery can fill a store with smoke and cause serious damage. Fire Chief Jim Jessup says tighter oversight of how these batteries enter and are sold in the country is now his service's number one request.
One Toronto bike repair shop owner described how a battery on a bike brought in for repairs back in 2022 suddenly caught fire inside his store. He recalled that thick smoke poured out and that the unit did not explode right away, but the blaze was serious enough that Toronto Fire had to be called. The fire ended up causing serious damage to the store, an experience that changed how he runs his business.
Since that incident, the owner said he has become very cautious about the repair jobs he accepts. His shop no longer takes in bikes that still have their battery attached, and customers are told the battery has to be removed before the bike is brought in. He explained that there is no way for him to know whether a battery has been properly cared for by its owner, and that any of them can become a fire hazard.
According to the owner, one of the most common problems he sees is water damage. Because the packs are lithium-ion, he said, they are sensitive to water, and moisture that gets inside can create serious risks. Exposure to extreme weather can also damage the batteries, which is why he warned they should never be stored outdoors, such as on the balcony of an apartment or a condo.
He offered practical advice for e-bike owners, noting that on virtually all of the bikes he handles the battery is detachable and simply comes off the frame. His recommendation is to keep the battery indoors and to avoid any wet conditions as well as extreme heat and extreme cold. Storing the pack in a stable indoor environment, he said, is one of the simplest ways to lower the chance of a fire.
Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessup said one of the biggest concerns for his service is that many of these batteries are aftermarket products, sold online and shipped from overseas with no regulatory oversight. Without any standard governing how they are made or sold, he said, it is difficult to ensure the batteries reaching Canadian homes are safe. He described the situation as a gap that the federal government needs to step in and close.
Jessup said pushing for that change is the fire service's number one request, adding that he has asked the federal government for a number of years to strike a committee to look at introducing regulations. Those rules, he said, would mandate that batteries coming into the country and being sold here meet a defined standard, something that does not exist right now. He warned that these products are behind an overwhelming number of the fires that involve lithium-ion batteries.