UK firefighters called to one lithium-ion battery fire every five hours

UK firefighters are called to a lithium-ion battery fire every five hours, with 1,760 battery-linked fires tackled in 2025, a 147% increase in three years. Lithium-ion batteries power most rechargeable devices, including mobile phones and electric vehicles. Fire chiefs warn that public awareness and government regulation have not kept pace with the ubiquity of this new hazard.