A lithium-ion battery on an e-bike erupted in flames last night inside an apartment near Mission Dolores, sending one resident to the hospital for smoke inhalation and briefly shutting down a nearby street, officials said. Fire crews contained the blaze to a single room, and two other people declined medical treatment. One resident was displaced from the building, which is home to seniors and people with disabilities, and the American Red Cross was called in to help.
Firefighters responded shortly before 8:45 p.m. to reports of smoke on the 1800 block of 15th Street and kept the fire from spreading beyond one room, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. One person was transported to a hospital for smoke inhalation and two others declined treatment, and the Red Cross assisted displaced residents, the outlet reported.
Local coverage said the fire was reported on the third floor at about 8:44 p.m. at 1855 15th St., the Mission Dolores Apartments, which houses seniors and people with disabilities. Fire Rescue Capt. Samuel Menchaca identified the source as a lithium-ion battery on an e-bike, according to SFGATE.
Lithium-ion batteries can fail suddenly and enter a self-sustaining thermal runaway that throws off intense heat and toxic gases, which makes these fires notoriously tough to put out. Overcharging, physical damage or manufacturing defects can all trigger those dangerous failures, and the resulting fumes pose serious health risks to both occupants and first responders, according to the Fire Safety Research Institute.
Officials Push New Rules
After a string of battery-related blazes across the Bay Area, Supervisor Bilal Mahmood and the fire department have backed new legislation aimed at clamping down on uncertified lithium-ion batteries. The proposal would ban the sale of non-UL-certified batteries in San Francisco and give the fire department authority to cite both sellers and residents, with penalties of up to $1,000 per violation, according to KQED.
How Residents Can Reduce Risk
Fire officials and safety researchers say residents can lower the risk by sticking with the manufacturer’s charger, charging devices on flat, non-combustible surfaces and avoiding unattended or overnight charging, especially for larger e-bike battery packs. They also recommend keeping batteries away from exits and hallways so a fire does not trap people inside. If a battery starts to hiss, swell or emit smoke, they advise getting out immediately and calling 911, per reporting by the Los Angeles Times.
City officials say they plan to step up outreach and targeted inspections in dense, high-risk buildings while the proposed ordinance moves through the Board of Supervisors. The latest incident adds urgency to a broader push in San Francisco to curb battery-related fires in multiunit housing, a trend local reporting has been tracking in recent months, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
