Umina house fire sparks battery warning

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) believes a lithium-ion battery caused a house fire at Umina on Monday morning, February 17, which left a man seriously injured with burns and two others suffering from smoke inhalation.

Three fire trucks and 12 firefighters were called to the home on Gwendolen Ave shortly after 4.30am.

On arrival, they found smoke issuing from the townhouse and quickly got to work to extinguish the blaze.

The fire was contained within 30 minutes and firefighters conducted a search and rescue operation to ensure no other occupants were in the property.

FRNSW provided emergency medical treatment to three people until NSW Ambulance arrived.

The man suffering burns was airlifted to hospital while the two other people were transported by road.

After initial inspections, FRNSW investigators believe that lithium-ion batteries exploded, which sparked the blaze.

The batteries were submerged in water to prevent reignition.

FRNSW Superintendent, Adam Dewberry, said this was yet another example of how dangerous lithium-ion batteries can be if not used correctly.

“Lithium-ion batteries are a great convenience but if not treated with respect, particularly with e-bikes and e-scooters, they can be extremely dangerous,” he said.

“They can ignite with explosive force, issuing toxic gas, and causing intense fires that spread rapidly.

“If a fire involving a lithium-ion battery occurs, it literally becomes an explosive device.

“When that happens, we urge people to get out, stay out and call Triple Zero (000).”

Officially, there have been 28 lithium-ion battery fires in NSW so far this year.

That number is expected to rise, with FRNSW recently recording a concerning surge in suspected lithium-ion fires.

There were 323 such fires in NSW last year, 272 in 2023 and 165 in 2022.

FRNSW advises:  

Never sleep or leave home with your lithium-battery-powered devices charging;

Don’t leave devices constantly on charge;

Don’t throw any lithium-ion batteries out in the rubbish, they can start garbage truck or rubbish tip fires when compacted;

Contact Central Coast Council or recycling centre for disposal advice;

Don’t leave devices charging on beds, sofas or around highly flammable materials;

Try to charge devices outside if possible;

Always buy reputable lithium-battery brands and never ‘mix and match’ components;

Beware of cheap, substandard Lithium battery-powered devices;

Avoid dropping, crushing or piercing battery cells;

Store batteries and devices in a cool, dry area, away from combustible materials;

Install active smoke alarms in your home/garage;

Ensure you have a home evacuation plan in the event of fire;

Don’t store or charge lithium-Ion-powered devices near exit points in your home.

Fire and Rescue NSW, along with NSW Fair Trading, the Environment Protection Agency and the Department of Customer Service is running a public safety campaign about lithium-ion batteries – Shop, Charge, Recycle Safely –  https://vimeo.com/1026747207/c16267d2b3?ts=0&  

For further information, visit the FRNSW website: https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/chargesafe