Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service issued urgent safety advice on 8 July, warning Milton Keynes residents that the current hot spell can cause lithium-ion batteries in everyday devices to swell, overheat and trigger ferocious fires. The alert, published on the service’s website, covers items found in most homes, including e-scooters, laptops, mobile phones, vapes and power tools.
High temperatures can push damaged or poorly stored cells into thermal runaway, a chain reaction that produces intense heat, toxic gases and flames that are extremely difficult to extinguish. If a lithium-ion battery catches fire, the household must evacuate immediately, shut doors behind them and call 999. Residents are told never to try putting the fire out themselves or to toss the battery into a household bin.
The warning follows a string of fires across the county during the extended dry, hot conditions. Group Commander Barrie Ackerlay said the service wanted everyone to spot danger signs early. “We want our community to understand the signs of a battery overheating and take simple steps to reduce the risk,” he said. “By staying vigilant and following safe charging, storage, and disposal practices, we can work together to prevent avoidable fires and keep our communities safe throughout the summer.”
Swollen or damaged batteries must not be placed in regular bins. Instead, they should be left loose inside small clear bags and set on top of any bin on collection day for kerbside recycling, or delivered to one of Buckinghamshire’s ten Household Recycling Centres. Ade Osibogun, the council’s cabinet member for environment, climate change and waste, urged residents to clear out unwanted batteries sooner rather than later. “In hot temperatures, damaged or swollen batteries can become more of a fire risk, so we’d encourage residents not to store unwanted batteries at home for long periods,” she said.
The local push mirrors a national campaign by the National Fire Chiefs Council, which has warned that safety standards have lagged behind the rapid spread of lithium-ion gadgets. At least six UK deaths have been linked to e-bike and e-scooter fires since 2023, and the recently enacted Product Safety and Metrology Act 2025 gives ministers new powers to tighten rules for batteries sold online and on the high street.
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