Electrical Fire comes in various forms, and in the everchanging faces of today’s technology, we need to adapt quickly to the risk.

One of the latest statistics regarding Electrical Fire that caught my eyes was the increasing number of Lithium-Ion Battery-related fires. As per Standard UK, the steep increase of LIB-related fires soar up to 130 incidents in a year (https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-fire-brigade-escooter-ebike-battery-fires-lithiumion-batteries-b990942.html), and Vancouver recently published a finding that Lithium Ion battery fires are the number 1 cause of fire deaths in 2022 so far (bc.ctvnews.ca).

This poses a major concern, especially since here in Indonesia, we have not even solved the majority of preventable Electrical Fires due to preventable shortcomings such as short circuits, overload and overheating, or faulty installation. As per Jakartafire.net, electrical fire is still the number one cause of fire in Jakarta.

The increasing number of LIB-powered equipment, most notably in a larger grid, capacity, and size, have become more common in our household. Especially with the increase of electric vehicles, from smaller units i.e. E-Scooter or E-bike to Electric Car which, most likely, is equipped with a large capacity of LIB. In addition, some houses have already installed the electric vehicle charging station, which again adds to the fire risk, and additional power sources such as Solar Panels (or other photovoltaic technology) and ESS (Energy Storage System, battery system).

As mentioned by Rein, from the research of He, et al., the number of cells (hence the size and capacity), the higher the chances of ignition and thermal runaway, even before considering other factors such as external abuse (electrical, mechanical, thermal abuse) and internal abuse (defects, and self-combustion process).

This, along with the ever-increasing size and scales of LIB in general, resulted in an increase in fire risk. Also mentioned by Rein on his Twitter account, more research needs to be conducted, especially for larger and higher capacity battery storage.

Which leads us to the conclusion: what can we do to contribute? Acknowledging the issue is the first step towards being more risk-aware of battery-related fire. For practical aspects, there are several things that you can do to reduce the risk of battery and electrical fire:

1. Make sure your electrical installation can handle the current needed for charging (especially for large capacity battery)
2. Make sure to charge the large battery (especially for electric vehicles) in an area with good ventilation (to prevent hydrogen gas build-up), preferably outside of your home
3. Use well-known, standardized electrical equipment, charger, and battery
4. Never overcharge a battery
5. Never leave your charger unattended or whilst sleeping
6. Never charge or leave the battery near a combustible item
7. Never charge a deformed/damaged battery. Discard damaged batteries at a battery recycling depot or service. Do not throw damaged battery in a regular trash bin
8. Make sure you have other layers of fire protection at your home in case an electrical or battery fire occurred. Preferably, equip your home with Fire Extinguishers Units and Smoke Detection System.

Writer: Fahri Ali Imran - CEO Ignis Fire & Risk