Britannia Fire calls for lithium-ion battery safety measures
Iain Hoey
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Britannia Fire responds to battery fire figures
Britannia Fire has called for greater fire safety around lithium-ion batteries after new figures showed record numbers of e-bike and e-scooter fires attended by fire and rescue services in 2025.
Britannia Fire cited a Press Association investigation which found there were 432 e-bike fires and 147 e-scooter fires attended in 2025, up 38% and 20% on reports from the previous year.
Andy Spence, Managing Director of Britannia Fire, said: “Lithium-ion battery fires are by nature more unpredictable and intense than conventional fires.
“They are harder to extinguish, often behave differently to typical fires and can spread quickly, meaning that standard fire protection measures aren’t always adequate.”
The company linked the figures to the Government’s product safety consultation published at the end of March.
The consultation identifies unsafe e-bike batteries, conversion kits and chargers sourced from online marketplaces as a serious hazard.
It also proposes new duties on producers, suppliers and online marketplaces to improve safety standards in products containing lithium-ion batteries.
The British Standards Institution (BSI) is also developing a fast-tracked Publicly Available Specification (PAS) for batteries used in e-bikes, e-scooters and conversion kits.
Products launched for lithium-ion fire response
Britannia Fire recently launched the P50 AVD fire extinguisher and the AVD fire blanket in response to the rise in lithium-ion battery fires.
The AVD fire blanket is available in three sizes for different battery-powered products.
It is designed to be placed over a device to contain flames, block heat radiation and prevent fire spread.
The P50 AVD fire extinguisher is the newest addition to the company’s P50 composite range.
Britannia Fire said the extinguisher can be discharged under the blanket edge to cool and extinguish the fire and prevent reignition.
The company added that the P50 AVD has a 20 year lifespan, requires servicing once every 10 years and is fully recyclable.
Spence said: “We welcome the Government’s recognition that the current framework needs strengthening, and the focus on online marketplace accountability is long overdue.
“While regulatory reform takes time, lithium-ion fires continue to endanger lives and properties today.
“It’s important for landlords, facilities managers and business owners to consider extra precautions, particularly for locations with charging stations or clusters of battery-powered devices.”
He added: “As a nation we are using many more products and devices containing lithium-ion batteries than ever before.
“It’s vital that we introduce measures to make these products safer at the point of purchase, and it’s also important that fire safety equipment keeps pace with this growing trend, to keep people and property protected.”
Britannia Fire said its AVD products are suited to locations including bike storage areas in residential blocks or offices, IT equipment rooms and office environments, schools, universities and public sector buildings.
