Lithium-ion battery fires are a growing cause for concern around the world, with fears about how electric vehicles, e-bikes, laptop chargers, and power banks pose a risk to people at home, at work, and on the move.
Fires involving lithium batteries—which are rechargeable—are notoriously difficult to extinguish using conventional firefighting methods.
Meanwhile, global demand for lithium-ion batteries is expected to increase significantly between 2025 and 2030.
Matt Humby, a senior technical consultant at fire extinguisher manufacturer Firechief Global, told The Epoch Times he does not think governments or international regulatory bodies had woken up to the danger lithium batteries represented.
“While awareness is growing, regulatory action still lags behind the pace of incidents we’ve had with lithium-ion battery fires,” Humby said. “Many trade bodies … are reactive rather than proactive, and there’s still a lack of global consistency in standards and enforcement.”…