Midland Fire Services wants to remind residents not to store their power-assisted bicycles, known as e-bikes, or hoverboards inside their homes due to the severe and toxic fire hazard risks associated with the lithium-ion batteries in the devices.
“Although electronic devices that have been either CSA, cUL, or cETL certified are typically safe, devices that contain lithium-ion batteries do pose a fire risk should they be improperly cared for or become damaged,” explained fire prevention officer/captain Cale McLean of Midland Fire Services to MidlandToday.
Lithium-ion or Li-ion batteries are more susceptible to damage than other battery types, and if one catches fire, a very fierce and potentially explosive fire situation which also releases toxic gas occurs.
McLean recommended that owners of such devices should follow the strict manufacturers' instructions, and only use original chargers and cords from those manufacturers.
In Canada, electronic devices are certified with the certification stamp bearing CSA, cUL, or cETL that state the product has been assessed and conforms to Canadian national safety standards.
“E-bikes and hoverboards do pose a higher risk,” said McLean, “due to the size of their batteries, the abundance of non-Canadian listed devices on the market, and use of aftermarket charging blocks and or cords.”
According to McLean, “the ideal storage for e-bikes would be outside, a sprinkler protected storage area, a place away from the living areas of the residence, and or away from areas that if they were to catch fire, would impede escape from the residence.”
Glenn Wright, owner of Midland Ski & Bike Shop, is a retailer of power-assisted bicycles.
Wright stated that prices for e-bikes range around $2,500 as a low-end entry point, up to $5,000 for quality products.
“The (li-ion) batteries are removable on a lot of these,” Wright told MidlandToday, pointing to a locked mechanism on the frame. “So it’s really not the bike.
“Some people think an e-bike is the one with all the plastic,” added Wright. “Those have lead-acid batteries in them. How often do you see your car going up in smoke?”
During an e-bike information session earlier this year, OPP Sgt. Gord Keen of the force's provincial traffic operations department informed residents that the rule-breakers of the Highway Traffic Act were those that illegally modified their power-assisted bicycles to perform more like scooters or motorcycles, usually through aftermarket parts.
“A lot of people that have these don’t have the option – they’re in apartments; are they going to chain it to a pole outside?” asked Wright.
When asked if power-assisted bicycles had specific or proprietary security accessories, Wright said no and added that standard bike locks were what most customers used for their product.
Midland Fire Services would also like to remind the public of the importance of having working smoke alarms in their home and a practised escape plan.
“With how toxic and quickly fires from these devices can spread, only working smoke alarms, and practising two ways of escape from each room in your house will save you should a fire occur,” said McLean.
