Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop is sounding the alarm following an uptick in recent years in explosions caused by faulty lithium-ion batteries, one of which was recently caught on video. On Sunday morning, Toronto Fire Services responded to reports of a fire in southeast Scarborough on Mayhill Crescent, just south of Lawrence Avenue East and east of Scarborough Gold Club Road. Jessop said firefighters arrived to find a home that was “fully engulfed” in flames due to a fire that is believed to have started from a lithium-ion battery explosion that went into thermal runaway. This phenomenon occurs when a sudden rise in temperature causes a rapid, uncontrollable chain reaction that often ends in explosions. E-bike explosion caught on camera In video footage captured by neighbouring residents and posted on X by Jessop, an e-bike seen a few feet away from a garage door and parked behind a vehicle appears to catch on fire in the driveway of a home. Several large explosions ensue. Black smoke can then be seen rising into the air, followed by what appears to be pieces of the e-bike exploding, with fragments scattering throughout the surrounding area. No injuries were reported as a result of the blaze, which Jessop said caused “substantive damage.” Several residents, however, have been displaced due to damage to the residence. Lithium-ion battery fire calls up: fire chief “Unfortunately, (it’s) another e-bike fire in our city, which almost is becoming the norm as opposed to the exception,” he said. “We started recording data specifically on lithium-ion batteries back in 2022. In 2022, Toronto Fire Services responded to 29 fires caused by lithium-ion batteries. In 2025, we responded to 71.” The fire chief went on to say that as of July 27, halfway through 2026, Toronto fire has responded to 50 calls. If these kinds of calls follow a similar trend, finishing at at least 100 for the year, lithium-ion battery explosions in the city will have increased by 250 per cent between 2022 and 2026, Jessop said. Increased risk for firefighters The fire chief also noted that firefighters face increased risks from lithium-ion fires, notably when thermal runaway is involved. “The unpredictability and the intensity of these e-bike fires, when my staff are in apartments or in houses, is something that we’ve never had to deal with before,” said Jessop. “These fires are not only putting my staff at risk, but they are reducing the likelihood that we’re going to be able to save people, as well as reducing the time people have to safely escape themselves.” Council passes motion to study unregulated batteries In May, Toronto city council voted unanimously to pass a motion tasking the deputy city manager, city solicitor, Toronto Fire Services, and Municipal Licensing and Standards with conducting a jurisdictional scan of cities with existing laws regulating the sale of lithium-ion batteries so unregulated options do not enter the market. The studies are expected to conclude at the beginning of next year, with concrete options for municipal bylaws governing the proper storage and sale of the batteries. Jessop said fire service investigations have found the primary reason these lithium-ion batteries go into thermal runaway is because they are “not required to meet a standard or a regulation, unlike your cell phone batteries or your laptop batteries.”
