Hereford and Worcester's fire service join initiative to highlight potential dangers of lithium-ion batteries
It's added their voice to the ‘Fast. Fierce. Fatal' campaign which was launched by West Midlands Fire Service following them seeing a rise in incidents linked to the batteries
Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) are reminding people to buy any devices with lithium-ion batteries from trusted retailers and to take care of them.
The message is part of the ‘Fast. Fierce. Fatal.’ campaign which has been launched by West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) to highlight the dangers of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, following a sharp increase it's seen in incidents linked to the batteries found in devices such as e-bikes, e-scooters, phones, laptops and vapes.
In 2023, WMFS say its firefighters responded to 40 incidents involving lithium-ion batteries, the number rising to 69 in 2024.
By 31 October this year it said the number was already 65, up 6.6 per cent on the same ten months last year, and more than twice as many as in the same period in 2023.
It comes as a warning from the emergency services for the festive period and as the Black Friday sales take place.
John Elsworth, station commander at HWFRS, said: "Lithium-ion batteries themselves and the equipment that they power are not inherently dangerous if they are purchased sensibly and wisely and if they are used and charged as they should be.
"I think the most important and the key message of the campaign is to always buy your devices and charges from trusted retailers and always use the charger that comes with the equipment rather than a similar charger that just fits.
"There are things you can look out for with the batteries just to ensure that they are not going to catch fire, for example, the batteries become unusually hot to the touch when they're charging, this can be a sign that there is a fault.
"If it is very slightly warm, that's ok, but if they start to swell, bulge or they're leaking liquid, this could also be a warning sign."
Further information and safety advice can be found over on the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue service's website here.