Batteries just keep spontaneously exploding in Toronto and it's a problem

Lithium-ion batteries just keep on spontaneously exploding in Toronto, and the city's Fire Chief is warning the public about the growing threat of fires caused by these portable power sources.

Toronto's Fire Chief, Jim Jessop, shared on Monday that a staggering 77 battery fires have occurred in the city this year alone, including over 50 incidents linked specifically to lithium-ion batteries.

The latest such incident occurred at 27 Robinson Ave., where a patient was transported to hospital, and ten residents were displaced following a fire sparked by a lithium-ion battery.

Another Lithium Ion battery fire over the weekend. This brings our total to 77 since the beginning of the year. This one sent one person to hospital and others having to find another place to live…#Toronto pic.twitter.com/dyKiBYw4zw

— Jim Jessop (@ChiefJessopTFS) August 10, 2026

It's just the most recent in a string of similar incidents, including a fire on an Ontario Street apartment tower last Tuesday and an Etobicoke high-rise fire last Wednesday — both of which Jessop tied to the involvement of lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium-ion, also known as Li-ion batteries, have been commercially available since the early 1990s. While safety issues resulting from overcharging and overheating have been known since this style of power cell was first introduced, the recent proliferation of cheap e-bikes and electric scooters has been met with a wave of battery-related fires — and it's a problem the local fire chief is treating very seriously.

According to the City of Toronto, the batteries — also found in equipment like mobility scooters, e-cigarettes, vacuums, lawn equipment, smoke alarms and toys — are considered perfectly safe when certified, properly charged, used and disposed of correctly.

However, the City notes that "Overcharged, modified or damaged batteries are not safe and can cause a fire or even explode."