Experts raise red flags after noticing dangerous trend contributing to house fires: ‘Don’t leave them … unattended or overnight’

Officials have sounded the alarm after a house fire apparently was sparked by a vaping device, the BBC reported.

“Rechargeable devices such as e-cigarettes and vapes contain lithium-ion batteries which can start a fire,” warned Duncan Warwood, watch commander at West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, per the BBC.

What’s happening?

Firefighters were called to battle a blaze at a home in West Sussex in southern England, about 45 miles south of London. The fire destroyed a downstairs bedroom, according to the BBC.

Officials said they believed that a vaping device, found in the bedroom, was to blame.

“Lithium-ion batteries are safe during normal use but present a fire risk when over-charged, short-circuited, submerged in water or damaged,” said Darren Wickings, a station manager for the local fire department, per the BBC.

“Charge batteries and devices on a flat, solid and stable surface. Don’t leave them charging while unattended or overnight and always unplug the charger when they are fully charged,” Wickings continued.

Why is it important?

Fires sparked by lithium-ion batteries, particularly those contained in vaping devices, have skyrocketed in recent years.

The nonprofit group Material Focus found that, in 2023, the U.K. alone experienced 1,200 fires in trash bins, garbage trucks, and waste-disposal sites, all of which were tied to lithium-ion batteries that were improperly disposed of. Many of these batteries had been contained in vaping devices.

The problem has become so widespread that Material Focus has dubbed the phenomenon “vapocalypse.”

Similarly, Ryan Fogelman, who tracks fires at waste-disposal plants and recycling centers, has used the phrase the “vape effect.”

Discussing the increased number of fires at such facilities, Fogelman wrote in Waste360, “I attribute much of this change to the ‘vape effect,’ a rise in lithium-ion battery fires caused by the improper disposal of vapes, which we’ve seen grown significantly over the past four years.”

As the incident in West Sussex demonstrated, however, vapes do not only pose a risk of fire when improperly discarded. Vaping devices can catch fire anywhere, even inside one’s own home.

In addition to the risk of fire, e-cigarettes and other vaping devices pose other threats to public health and the environment. For example, a review of available scientific literature found that vapes contain toxic heavy metals like mercury and lead, as well as hazardous chemicals used as flame retardants. When vapes are not properly disposed of, these dangerous substances can leach into the soil and water supply, threatening the environment and public health.

What’s being done about it?

To limit the risk of fires and environmental contamination from vape devices, it is important to make sure that used vapes are properly disposed of at specially designated drop-off sites.

Additionally, vape users everywhere should heed the warnings of U.K. fire officials, which include recommendations to only purchase vaping devices from reputable outlets, unplug devices once fully charged, and never leave vapes charging unattended or overnight.

In the U.S., the Battery Safety Now campaign is seeking to raise awareness about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries and to encourage their proper disposal. The campaign’s website includes a helpful tool that allows you to easily find a used-battery drop-off site near you by simply entering your city and state or postal code.

As the campaign’s slogan says, “Skip the bin, turn your batteries in!”

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