What to know
- Toronto Fire responded to incidents in Scarborough, Etobicoke and downtown Toronto between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon.
- Toronto Fire said the four latest incidents bring the 2026 total to 82 as of Thursday afternoon.
- The agency is calling on provincial and federal partners to develop legislation that would improve lithium-ion battery safety, including requiring Canadian certification for batteries entering the country.
- Toronto Fire warns against buying alternative batteries or charging accessories, altering batteries, overcharging devices, and leaving them in extreme temperatures.
- Old lithium-ion batteries should be taken to an appropriate City of Toronto recycling depot rather than placed in the garbage or green bin.
Toronto Fire is sharing lithium battery safety tips after it registered four e-bike and e-scooter-related incidents in less than 24 hours.
At 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Toronto Fire responded to a three-alarm residential fire at 57 Broadbridge Dr. in Scarborough, with multiple batteries in the house impacted by the fire.
Later that day at approximately 9 p.m., a worker at 20 Baywood in Etobicoke reported a battery fire, with crews having to contain the battery in a pail and dispose of it.
Hours later at 6 a.m. on Thursday, crews responded to a fire at 291 George St., reporting it involved lithium-ion batteries. Three patients were referred to the paramedics while a fourth self-transported to the hospital later.
At 4 p.m. on Thursday, yet another report of a battery-related house fire came in at 113 Anthony Rd., with crews saying an entire garage was involved by the flames, while one patient had to be transferred to the care of Toronto Paramedics.
The agency told Now Toronto that as of Thursday afternoon, 82 lithium-ion battery incidents have been registered in 2026.
In light of the back-to-back incidents, Toronto Fire is now urging the provincial and federal partners to develop legislation to enhance lithium-ion battery safety, including requiring a Canadian certification for any batteries entering the country.
“TFS wants to work collaboratively with those partners to assist in the development of regulation guidelines,” a Toronto Fire spokesperson wrote in an email to Now Toronto.
Safety tips
Toronto Fire also shared some tips on how residents can avoid lithium-ion battery incidents.
The agency urges users to refrain from buying alternative batteries and charging accessories, as they could cause major problems. Instead, they should stick to the correct batteries and accessories that match their device’s manufacturer instructions.
In addition, users should not tamper with batteries in any way, including modifying the battery to last longer or provide more power.
“Both of which destabilize your battery and make it more likely to be problematic,” the agency warns.
In terms of best practices, Toronto Fire said residents should never overcharge lithium-ion batteries, making sure to remove them from the charger as soon as they reach their maximum capacity.
These batteries should also never be left out in the extreme heat or cold, as both temperatures could destabilize them and cause thermal runaways, which can lead to fires.
“If you are charging your device, charge it in the room you are in and never in an area of your home that blocks your access to an exit should a fire occur,” the agency wrote.
When changing batteries, users should dispose of their old batteries at appropriate City of Toronto recycling depots, and never leave them in the garbage or green bin.
E-scooters, e-bikes stir safety concerns
This is not the first time micro-mobility vehicles like e-bikes and e-scooters have been a topic of concern in Toronto.
Read More
- ‘You can buy ’em, but you can’t ride ’em’: Toronto explains e-scooter rules after online backlash
- ‘Needs to be year-round’: Torontonians frustrated with Toronto Police’s new two-week e-bike, e-scooter campaign
- Torontonians are calling e-bikes dangerous, one expert says the issue lies beyond sidewalks
Last week, a City of Toronto PSA sparked mixed reactions by reminding residents that they can buy e-scooters in the city, but can’t ride them in public spaces. While the rule felt conflicting for many, the city explained that it is not allowed to regulate the sale of products, but can regulate where they are allowed to operate.
Earlier this week, Toronto Police also launched a campaign to help residents understand the rules of the road for micromobility vehicles. This comes after police responded to 514 incidents involving these vehicles since the beginning of the year.
