If a lithium battery catches fire, get everyone away from it, call 911, and if the fire is small enough to manage safely, douse it with water. Water is the recommended extinguishing method for lithium-ion battery fires. Unlike pure lithium metal, the lithium in these batteries exists as a salt-based electrolyte, which means water won’t cause an explosive reaction. The National Fire Protection Association confirms that water works well because its high heat capacity is exactly what’s needed to counteract the intense, self-sustaining heat these fires produce.
Immediate Steps During a Battery Fire
Your first priority is distance. Lithium battery fires release a cocktail of toxic gases, including hydrogen fluoride and carbon monoxide, that can be dangerous within seconds in an enclosed space. Research published in Scientific Reports found that burning lithium-ion cells release between 20 and 200 milligrams of hydrogen fluoride per watt-hour of battery capacity. The immediately dangerous concentration of hydrogen fluoride is just 30 parts per million, a threshold a single burning laptop or e-bike battery can exceed in a small room.
Once you and anyone nearby are a safe distance away:
- Call 911. Even a small battery fire can reignite and the toxic fumes require professional assessment.
- Use water if the fire is small and you can do so safely. Pour or spray water directly onto the burning device. The goal is cooling, since the core problem is a runaway heat reaction inside the cells. A generous, sustained amount of water is more effective than a quick splash.
- Do not use a standard dry powder or CO2 extinguisher as your only response. These can knock down visible flames temporarily but lack the cooling power to stop the chain reaction inside the battery. If that’s all you have, use it to buy time, then follow up with water.
- Ventilate the area. Open windows and doors. The fumes are corrosive to your lungs, eyes, and skin. If you’re in a space you can’t ventilate, leave it entirely.
- Do not attempt to move the burning device unless it’s threatening something that could make the situation far worse, like a gas line or a room full of people with no other exit.
Why These Fires Are Different
A lithium battery fire isn’t like a grease fire or a wood fire. It’s driven by a process called thermal runaway, where the battery’s internal chemistry becomes self-reinforcing. It starts when a protective layer inside the cell begins breaking down at temperatures as low as 57°C (about 135°F). By the time the battery reaches 80 to 100°C, that breakdown is generating significant heat on its own.
As the temperature climbs further, the thin plastic separator between the battery’s positive and negative sides melts (around 130 to 170°C depending on the material). When that separator fails, the two electrodes make direct contact, creating an internal short circuit that dumps energy as heat all at once. The battery’s electrodes then decompose and release oxygen internally, which is why smothering these fires doesn’t work the way it does with ordinary flames. The battery is generating its own oxygen supply.
This chain reaction is why water is so important. You’re not just putting out flames on the surface. You’re trying to pull enough heat out of the cells to interrupt the chemical cascade happening inside them.
If It Happens on a Plane
Alert the flight crew immediately. FAA guidelines require cabin crews to be trained specifically for lithium battery thermal events. Do not try to handle it yourself. Flight crews have access to specialized equipment and procedures for containing the device and preventing it from spreading to surrounding materials. Do not attempt to put a burning device in an overhead bin or a lavatory trash receptacle.
The Reignition Problem
One of the most dangerous aspects of battery fires is that they can restart after you think they’re out. The U.S. Fire Administration warns that reignition is a known risk with lithium-ion battery fires and recommends continued monitoring even after the fire appears fully extinguished. The heat trapped deep inside a battery pack can trigger thermal runaway in adjacent cells minutes or even hours later.
After extinguishing a battery fire, keep the device in a place where reignition won’t cause a secondary disaster. Outdoors, on concrete or bare ground, away from vehicles and structures, is ideal. Do not bring it back inside. Do not put it in your car. Monitor it from a safe distance until fire professionals arrive or until the device has been cool to the touch for an extended period.
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
EV battery fires are the same chemistry at a much larger scale. A single EV battery pack contains thousands of individual cells, and once thermal runaway begins spreading from cell to cell, the fire can be extremely difficult to stop. Research into targeted water injection methods has shown that an EV battery fire can be suppressed with roughly 100 kilograms (about 26 gallons) of water when applied directly to the pack. In practice, firefighters often use far more because accessing the battery pack through the vehicle’s structure is challenging.
If your EV catches fire, get everyone out of the vehicle and move at least 30 meters (about 100 feet) away. EV fires can produce sudden flare-ups and loud popping sounds as individual cells rupture. Do not attempt to fight an EV battery fire with a household fire extinguisher. Call 911 and let them know it’s an electric vehicle, since fire departments may deploy specialized response protocols.
Warning Signs Before a Fire Starts
Most lithium battery fires give warning signs before they ignite. Recognizing them gives you a critical window to act before flames appear:
- Swelling or bulging. A battery that looks puffy or has deformed its casing is experiencing internal gas buildup from decomposing cells.
- Unusual heat. A device that’s noticeably hot when it shouldn’t be, especially while not in use, suggests internal short circuiting.
- Strange odor. A sweet, acrid, or chemical smell coming from a battery or device is a serious warning sign.
- Hissing, cracking, or popping sounds. These indicate gases escaping from failing cells.
- Smoke. If you see smoke, a fire may have already started inside the battery even if no flame is visible.
If you notice any of these, stop using the device immediately. Don’t charge it. Move it to a non-flammable surface away from anything combustible, ideally outdoors. If it’s actively hissing, smoking, or getting hotter by the second, treat it as an imminent fire and get distance.
Handling and Disposing of a Damaged Battery
After a battery fire or thermal event, the remains are still hazardous. A burned or damaged lithium-ion battery can contain enough residual energy to reignite or cause chemical burns. Do not throw it in household trash or recycling bins.
For small consumer batteries (phones, laptops, power tools), the EPA recommends placing each damaged battery in a separate plastic bag and covering the terminals with non-conductive tape like electrical tape. Contact the device manufacturer for specific handling guidance, or bring the battery to a household hazardous waste collection point. The Earth911 database and Call2Recycle both maintain searchable directories of battery recycling locations.
For larger batteries from e-bikes, e-scooters, or energy storage systems, contact the manufacturer or the dealer where the battery was purchased. These packs require specialized handling and should not be transported in a regular vehicle without professional guidance. For EV batteries, contact the automobile dealer, repair shop, or salvage yard.
Prevention Basics
Most lithium battery fires trace back to damaged cells, improper charging, or counterfeit equipment. Use only the charger that came with your device, or one explicitly rated as compatible by the manufacturer. Stop charging once the battery is full. Don’t charge devices on soft surfaces like beds or couches that trap heat. Avoid storing batteries in extremely hot or cold environments, and never try to open, modify, or repair a battery yourself.
For e-bikes and e-scooters, which account for a disproportionate share of fatal battery fires, the NFPA recommends charging outdoors and away from any structure. This is especially important for aftermarket or replacement batteries purchased from third-party sellers, which may lack the safety certifications of the originals. Only buy batteries listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.