The Chelsea Fire Department is asking residents to change how they charge e-bikes, electric scooters, phones and laptops, warning that the lithium-ion batteries inside them can overheat, catch fire and give off toxic smoke when they are damaged or charged the wrong way.
The city shared the department’s message on Wednesday, November 11, in English and Spanish. The post does not tie the reminder to any one fire. It lands one week after Boston officials said overheated lithium-ion batteries caused the May fire in which a Boston firefighter was fatally injured, and as the state counts more of these fires each year.
What the Fire Department is asking
- Keep the exits clear. Never charge an e-bike or scooter near a door, in a hallway or by any exit.
- Use the right charger. Use only chargers approved by the manufacturer.
- Stay awake and nearby. Do not charge devices while sleeping, and do not leave them charging unattended.
- Stop at the first warning sign. Stop using any battery that is swollen, damaged, unusually hot or giving off a strange odor.
- Keep them out of the barrels. Never put lithium-ion batteries in household trash or curbside recycling.
If a battery starts smoking or catches fire, the department says to leave immediately and call 911 from a safe place. It also asks residents to pass the tips along to family and neighbors.
Chelsea has seen this before
In May 2024, a scooter battery that had been left charging for several hours caught fire and exploded in a first-floor apartment on Carmel Street, according to a state Department of Fire Services release at the time. Everyone got out of the three-story, four-unit building, and five people were taken for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening. The fire broke out at about 12:40 a.m.
“A few hours later and this could have been a very different story,” State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine said in that release, noting that the residents were awake when the battery failed.
John Quatieri, Chelsea’s fire chief at the time, gave advice in the same release that still applies: disconnect a device once it is fully charged, protect it from damage, and store an e-bike or scooter outside if possible. “If you must store it indoors, keep it clear of doors, windows, and other escape routes,” he said.
The numbers statewide
Firefighters across Massachusetts have fought 112 lithium-ion battery fires so far this year, The Boston Globe reported on November 4, citing the Department of Fire Services. The state has counted 362 since 2023, when it began using a more precise reporting tool, according to the Globe.
That report followed the announcement that the May 23 fire in Dorchester that led to the death of Boston firefighter Robert Kilduff, 53, was caused by lithium-ion batteries that overheated while stored on a rear porch, according to MassLive, which cited Boston Fire Commissioner Rodney Marshall.
Department of Fire Services spokesperson Jake Wark told MassLive that a failing cell can get hot enough to ignite the next one, and the next, a chain reaction called thermal runaway. These fires take far more water to put out than an ordinary fire and can reignite after they appear to be out, he said.
More ways to lower the risk
- Buy devices listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory such as UL or Intertek/ETL, the state fire marshal’s office advises.
- Replace a lost or broken charger with one from the original manufacturer, Wark told MassLive.
- Unplug once the battery is charged. Wark recommends stopping at about 80 percent.
- Hissing or popping sounds, swelling, punctures, and unusual heat or odor all mean stop using the device right away, according to the Department of Fire Services.
- Old batteries do not belong in the trash because garbage trucks and compactors can crush them and set them off, Wark said.
The Department of Fire Services keeps a lithium-ion battery safety page with guidance for residents. The Chelsea post does not say where residents should bring old batteries.