E-bike sparks destructive fire

Fire crews were called to battle flames that broke out at a property in Orillia and caused significant damage in the early morning hours on Tuesday.

• Here are some things you may not know about handling your electronics

An official with Orillia Fire told CTV News crews arrived to find the blaze raging in an attached garage, with the flames reaching into the wall and soffit of the house on West Street.

Police closed the area between Highway 11 and Commerce Road while roughly a dozen firefighters worked.

No injuries were reported.

CTV News has learned an e-bike that was charging next to the garage ignited the fire.

There is no estimate on damages at this time.

Lithium-ion Dangers

Fire officials warn of the dangers associated with lithium-ion batteries after several fires in recent months, including one sparked by an e-bike that burst into flames at another Orillia residence in June.

Orillia Fire Chief Michael Clark told CTV News in a June interview that lithium-ion batteries can act aggressively, which causes the batteries to explode and burst into flames.

"What happens is the cells start to heat up and eventually emit gas and ignite," he said. "The problem is different than other batteries or other kinds of fires that we have. They're very difficult to extinguish. Once they go into thermal runaway, it's impossible for us to reverse that process."

Clark warns against messing with these types of batteries found in devices like e-bikes, cell phones, tablets, laptops, and electric vehicles.

"People are doing all sorts of things unprofessionally to extend the life of these batteries, to increase power on these batteries," Clark explained, adding improper care of lithium-ion batteries can cause a fire.