Two fires broke out in different parts of Toronto on Sunday, both apparently tied to lithium-ion batteries of the kind used in electric bikes — the latest incidents in what fire officials say is a sharply rising trend across the city.
The first fire was reported around 11:23 a.m. in an alleyway near St. Clair Avenue West and Bathurst Street, where an e-bike caught fire. Crews knocked the blaze down before it could spread to nearby structures, but two people were assessed on scene for smoke inhalation.
Roughly two and a half hours later, just before 1:48 p.m., a second fire broke out in a ground-floor unit of an apartment building near Crescent Town Road and Victoria Park Avenue. Toronto Fire Services say that blaze was sparked by a lithium-ion battery and destroyed the unit, though no injuries were reported. Crews extinguished the fire and the building was not further damaged.
Investigators have not said whether the two incidents are related beyond their shared apparent cause, and the exact circumstances — including how each battery ignited — remain under investigation.
The fires add to what Toronto Fire Services describes as a fast-worsening problem. TFS Chief Jim Jessop said the department’s investigations point to a common culprit: batteries that don’t meet safety standards. “The data we’ve gotten out of our investigations is it’s predominantly the batteries that are not regulated, do not meet a standard,” Jessop said, adding that the number of lithium-ion battery fires in the city has risen roughly 200 percent since 2022. He said the fires themselves have also changed in character, becoming “more intense and toxic,” which is forcing firefighters into buildings that are “more unpredictable” and more dangerous to enter.
The spike mirrors a trend fire officials have been flagging for several years. Toronto recorded 29 lithium-ion battery fires in 2022 and 55 the following year — an increase of nearly 90 percent — and the department has previously said it has already seen both deaths and critical injuries tied to these fires.
Fire officials continue to press the same safety guidance: use only manufacturer-approved batteries and charging cords, never charge a device under a pillow or on a bed or couch, and unplug it once it reaches a full charge. They also recommend keeping batteries out of direct sunlight and hot vehicles, storing them away from flammable materials, and avoiding drops or physical damage that can compromise the cells. Anyone who notices a battery giving off an unusual odor, changing shape or color, overheating, leaking, or making noise is urged to stop using it immediately.
For now, the cause of Sunday’s two fires remains officially unconfirmed, and Toronto Fire Services has not said whether either case involved a battery that met — or failed — regulatory standards.
