A lithium-ion battery from an e‑scooter sparked a fire on the 20th floor of a South End high-rise Friday evening, sending residents out to the street and setting off the building’s sprinkler system. Two people were taken to nearby hospitals with minor smoke-related injuries, and roughly 40 residents were displaced from their apartments. Hazardous materials crews later removed the charred scooter and used containment barrels to isolate the damaged battery.
According to WCVB, the blaze started around 5:45 p.m. on July 17 inside a unit at 860 Harrison Avenue in Boston. Investigators identified the ignition point as the scooter’s lithium-ion battery, and firefighters had to haul hose lines up through the tower to reach the 20th-floor apartment while the sprinkler system kept the flames from spreading further. Boston Fire Chief Brian Tully told WCVB that “lithium battery fires are very dangerous and hard to extinguish,” and said hazmat crews placed the scooter in a bathtub before using barrels to contain the battery for removal.
State officials say the risk is increasing
Fire officials across Massachusetts have been sounding the alarm over a rise in fires linked to e‑bike and e‑scooter batteries. The State Fire Marshal has warned that the packs “can fail rapidly and violently” if they are damaged, defective, or recalled, as reported by Boston.com. In response, the Department of Fire Services has published a statewide advisory and an FP‑031 investigation checklist to help local fire departments document and analyze lithium-ion battery incidents, according to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.
What firefighters recommend
Fire officials are urging residents to treat e‑scooters and e‑bikes less like toys and more like serious electrical equipment. They recommend storing scooters and spare batteries outdoors when possible, avoiding charging them unattended or on combustible surfaces, and using only manufacturer-approved chargers and batteries. Similar incidents this year, including an e‑bike battery explosion in Falmouth that destroyed a garage, underscore the risk, WCVB reported.
City and state officials say the South End high-rise fire is yet another reminder to follow battery-safety guidance as micromobility devices multiply in homes and apartment buildings. The Department of Fire Services and local fire departments continue to collect data on lithium-ion incidents and are pressing building managers and residents to adopt safer storage and charging habits to cut the chances of another household or high-rise battery fire.
