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Lithium-ion Batteries: Fires

Asked by Claire YoungLiberal DemocratMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 10 February 2026UIN 110992

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many residential fires caused by lithium-ion battery failure were recorded by Fire and Rescue Services in 2025.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs), including the cause of the fire and the source of the ignition. This data is published in a variety of publications, available on gov.uk here. This does not yet include data on whether fire incidents attended were caused by lithium-ion failures specifically.

We will keep the contents of these publications under review as part of the development of our recently rolled out Fire and Rescue Analysis Platform (FaRDaP).

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) conduct research into product safety risks associated with lithium-ion batteries and are working closely with MHCLG and other Government Departments to develop this knowledge base. A report from January 2025 by the OPSS that covers the root causes of fire incidents often associated with lithium-ion battery failures is available here.

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