By Dr Thushan Pathiranalage

Lithium-ion batteries power almost everything we own. They’re in phones, laptops, e-bikes, power tools, vapes, home batteries, electric vehicles. Most of the time that is great because they are energy-dense, rechargeable, and reliable.

But when a lithium-ion battery catches fire — whatever device it's in — it does not behave like a typical fire. The instincts most people rely on either don't work or make things significantly worse. Here's what's actually happening inside a battery fire, and why it's become a growing safety issue well beyond the car park.

The CCTV footage here shows a black electric vehicle parked at an EV charging facility as its owner inspects the front compartment. Moments later, flames suddenly burst from underneath the vehicle, sending sparks flying at the site in the city of Haixi in China.

Not a normal fire

Every lithium-ion battery has a cathode which is a positively charged electrode inside the cell, typically made from a metal oxide (chemistries like NMC or LFP get their names from the metals used in it). The cathode’s job is storing and releasing energy.

If a battery is damaged, overcharged, crushed or overheated it can enter a process called thermal runaway. As the cell heats past a critical point the cathode material starts to break down and as this happens oxygen is released. Herein lies the problem.

fire needs external oxygen to burn which is why smothering a fire or removing its oxygen supply usually puts it out. A lithium battery fire generates oxygen from the inside so it can keep burning even when it's sealed off from the air.

This applies whether it's a car battery, an e-bike, or a phone in someone's pocket.

A big problem for fire fighters

Because the fire is self-sustaining, smothering it with water or foam won’t extinguish it. The fire has to be cooled down, continuously until the chemical reaction runs out of energy. This takes a lot of water, for a long time.

Tesla's own emergency response guide tells first responders it can take approximately 11,000 litres of water applied directly to the battery, to fully extinguish and cool a battery fire. The guide also states that battery fires can take up to 24 hours to fully extinguish.

One shocking incident in Texas had firefighters battling an EV battery fire and used 105,000 litres water which was roughly a month's normal water usage for that fire department. It also took over seven hours to put out. By comparison, the average at home swimming pool in Australia holds around 50,000 – 75,000 litres of water.

It's landfill, bins and recycling facilities too

Because any lithium battery can enter thermal runaway if it's damaged, crushed, or punctured, the risk doesn't start or end at the roadside. The risk exists in every battery, all of the time, even after its been thrown away. Once ignited inside a truck, a landfill or a waste facility, these fires are just as hard to extinguish and far harder to contain given how much other combustible material is around.

In April 2026, a fire broke out at a scrap metal and battery recycling facility on Lytton Road in Hemmant, Brisbane, involving lead-acid, household and lithium batteries in the storage and processing area. More than a dozen crews responded, nearby businesses were evacuated over toxic smoke and roads were closed for hours while the fire was contained. It's one of a growing number of incidents across Australia where batteries that are not properly separated for recycling have ignited in waste and recycling infrastructure.

What to do if you're facing one

Get everyone away and call triple zero (000) immediately — tell them it's a lithium battery fire so they bring the right resources. Don't try to put it out yourself with water, sand or an extinguisher. Leave the rest to the professionals who deal with this daily.

Why proper battery recycling matters

Every battery that ends up in general waste instead of a proper collection point is a fire risk waiting for the moment it gets crushed, punctured or overheated. Recycling batteries through dedicated collection points and licensed processing keeps damaged and end-of-life batteries out of the truck, the tip and landfill, and puts them into a supply chain built to handle the risk safely.