
Households warned over common vape mistake that can cause ‘ferocious' toxic fires that are nearly impossible to put out
The lithium batteries inside vapes can have a severe chemical reaction if the devices are treated recklessly, fire safety experts have warned.
6
6
6
Throwing them around or dropping them too much can damage the batteries over time.
'Given we commonly keep smaller vapes in our pockets, if they fail and catch fire it's not uncommon to see serious burns as a result," Giuseppe Capanna, product safety expert at charity Electrical Safety First, told The Sun.
"If a vape is substandard, exposed to high temperatures, short circuits or becomes damaged, it risks causing a toxic fire caused by a chemical reaction inside the battery cells.
"This process, called thermal runway, creates ferocious fires releasing a large amount of energy in a short space of time."
It's also important to use the right charging cable, and avoid leaving a vape in high temperatures or submerged in water.
"If you own a vape it's really important you treat it with care, avoid carelessly throwing it around which may cause the battery inside to become damaged over time," explained Capanna.
"Ensure you use a compatible charger for your device and keep it away from areas where it may be exposed to high temperatures or risk coming into contact with water."
It follows a government ban on single-use vapes, primarily due to environmental concerns and a rise in youth vaping.
Since 1 June 2025, businesses have had to stop selling or supplying all single-use or 'disposable' vapes.
As well as being an eyesore, littered vapes - both single-use and reusable - can also be a fire risk.
They also introduce harmful chemicals into the soil, rivers and streams, so it's "vital" they are recycled, according to Capanna.
"Incorrectly disposing of your vape in your household bin risks it becoming crushed when being processed in the back of the lorry, triggering waste collection fires that release toxic fumes," he said.
"When your vape comes to the end of its life, either check if your local retailer offers a take back scheme to safely hand in your battery, or find your nearest recycling centre that will accept battery powered devices."
6
The London Fire Brigade has warned that here has been an uptick in vape-related fires across the UK, due to the devices being incorrectly thrown away in normal waste.
When the lithium batteries become crushed in waste collection vehicles on their way to the landfill they can spark fires.
Lithium batteries store a lot of energy in a small space and although lithium-ion battery products that have been built to a poor standard are a higher fire risk, any battery is at risk of exploding and catching fire if it has been crushed or becomes damaged.
London Fire Brigade
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson told The Sun: "Fires involving vapes can occur when the lithium-ion batteries that power them fail or become damaged or crushed.
"Lithium batteries store a lot of energy in a small space and although lithium-ion battery products that have been built to a poor standard are a higher fire risk, any battery is at risk of exploding and catching fire if it has been crushed or becomes damaged.
"When lithium-ion battery fires happen, they can be ferocious and can spread in seconds."
Between 2020 to 2024, the London Fire Brigade was called out to 41 vape-related fires, occurring in homes, shops, and even hospitals.
Six fire engines and approximately 40 firefighters were dispatched to tackle a blaze at a shop in Harlesden in August 2024, which was believed to have been sparked by a faulty vape's lithium battery.
Photos provided by the London Fire Brigade show blackened rooms blanketed with ash.
6
In April 2024, a day ward at Hampstead hospital was left damaged after the lithium battery in a rechargeable vape exploded in a visitor's bag.
Another photo from the brigade shows a South London home ravaged by a vape-related fire.
A bedroom has been reduced to ashes, with all contents inside obliterated.
Another risky mistake is to charge vapes by the bed or sofa.
Glenn Flannery, commercial director at fire alarm systems provider Spy Alarms, warned that this is a "definite no-no".
"These devices often come without standards such as CE or ISO marking and therefore fall into a similar risk bracket as things like e-scooters.
"However, due to their size and nature, we often find them being charged by the bed or the sofa... The primary fire hazard linked to vapes is their lithium-ion batteries, which can fail catastrophically if damaged, improperly charged, or poorly manufactured."
REDUCE THE RISK
According to Spy Alarm, households should take the following precautions to reduce the risk of a vape-related fire:
Use only the charger supplied with the vape or one recommended by the manufacturer.
Avoid charging overnight or while unattended. Most vape-related fires happen when people are asleep or away.
Regularly inspect the device and battery for signs of damage, bulging, or leakage.
Buy vape devices and batteries from reputable suppliers. Avoid counterfeit or unbranded products.
Don't modify the device or attempt DIY repairs.
Stop using the device if it gets excessively hot during use or charging.
Unplug chargers when not in use.
Install working smoke alarms on every floor of the home and test them regularly.
Do not carry loose batteries in your pocket or bag. Use a battery case to prevent accidental short circuits.
Store vape batteries in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and heat sources.
6
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
The race is one to better 'the electric vehicle experience'
The deadline is just a decade away. From 2035, if you buy a new car in the UK, it will have to be 100% emissions free. But while the pressure to move to electric vehicles (EVs) is transforming the car making landscape, there are firms in the East seizing an opportunity and creating will, however, have to overcome the barriers that studies show still deter motorists from making the switch – cost, range anxiety, charging time and Department for Transport said one in five new cars sold in May was electric, with the UK leading Europe in EV sales this race to develop consumer-friendly EV technology is on. Rules imposed to speed up the transition to electric vehicles in the UK partly drove the decision to close the Vauxhall plant in Luton in March, with the loss of more than 1,000 jobs. For manufacturers, the goal is to make EVs as quick and easy to use as petrol and diesel cars. The Cambridge start-up company, Nyobolt, believes that starts with battery track tests, in a purpose-built sports car, a new battery developed by Nyobolt charged from 10% to 80% in four minutes and 37 seconds - from a 350kW charger. It also has a long life span – able to charge 4000 full cycles while maintaining over 80% battery president Ramesh Narasimhan says it is "like filling up with fuel"."Most cars today, even with fast charging, take around 40 minutes to charge," he said."That takes time away from the customer, and it means planning journeys more." The race to develop this technology is Chinese company BYD announced an ultra-fast charging battery earlier this year. It has overtaken Tesla as the best-selling EV maker in the world, and has just launched a car in the UK. In China, which has prioritised advances in this area, EVs are now the success of Nyobolt's current technology relies on consumers accepting something is not producing batteries with long ranges, because government data suggests 99% of car journeys in the UK are within 100 miles (161km). The test car had a range of 155 miles (250km)."Who needs a battery that will last 1,000 miles?" said Mr Narasimhan. "Why not have a smaller, lighter, cheaper battery which uses fewer natural resources to make?"But Tom Stacey has his doubts. As a senior lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, he studies consumer attitudes to EVs."Nyobolt's approach is definitely common sense," he said."But drivers have spent decades using cars that are fast to fill up and last for three or four hundred miles, so it's hard for them to accept anything else."It's different in industry and business because they focus on reducing downtime and cost - so they would see the advantage of technology like this." The secret to Nyobolt's battery lies in the anode - the part of the battery which receives electrons when charging and releases them when the battery is being company uses Niobium Tungsten Oxide which Steve Hutchins, vice president of engineering and operations, says has addressed some of the issues associated with lithium-ion batteries."It means the battery can charge faster, using higher power, without getting mega hot and entering the conditions which cause them to potentially catch fire," he said. The company is manufacturing its anode material at a new factory in Haverhill, Suffolk because "it's really important to have production close to the researchers in Cambridge".About 70 staff are expected to work at the site once fully operational, but that relies on demand for the product. The company is in talks with a number of manufacturers, but even though EV sales are increasing, it takes time for companies to invest. "Given the safety tests that have to take place, it could take around four years to get this to market," the company Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders says the charging infrastructure remains the biggest hurdle in changing attitudes to EVs. "With the UK public charging network expanding but far from complete and still costly, many drivers understandably prefer longer-range models," said chief executive, Mike Hawes. As of May 2025, there were 80,998 public charging points in the UK - 8,284 of them were 150kW or above. Nyobolt's batteries charge with a 350kW device. BYD's newly unveiled battery charges at 1000kW. Gridserve, a company specialising in EV charging infrastructure, has started to roll out 350kW devices at service stations along the M1, M4 and "electric forecourts" in Norwich and Braintree - but they make up a small fraction of the overall public system. Mr Narasimhan, however, thinks there is still time to address that problem."If the manufacturers spoke to the government now and said 'we'll have this technology ready in a few years' then work can start on the necessary charging network at the same time," he Department for Transport said it was investing £4bn in helping people switch to EVs and that the public charging network was "expanding at the rate of one every 29 minutes."As a result, EV uptake is accelerating," a spokesperson said. "One in five new cars sold in May was electric, and the UK led Europe in EV sales in early 2025. Infrastructure will continue to match rising sales." No specific data was available on 350kW chargers. For now, Nyobolt's batteries are powering robots - a market which is faster to break into. It also recently secured $30m in funding to continue its research and to develop batteries for heavy vehicles. The government wants the UK to become a leader in battery technology, and runs a scheme to help, which Nyobolt has benefited from, but it is clear that even when companies develop a viable product, the journey to adoption can be slow and uncertain. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Guernsey Post launches digital collectable stamps
Guernsey Post has launched a set of digital goat-themed "cyber-stamps" which include both a physical stamp and a digital version for people to collect. The postal service said it believed the concept was a "world first" that was "marking a new era in stamp collecting", with each digital stamp unique to the owner. The concept follows an attempt to release crypto stamps by the company in 2024, which were deemed a virtual asset by the island's financial regulator and of philatelic at Guernsey Post Bridget Yabsley said it was hoped the digital stamps could attract "a new generation of collectors". The virtual copy of the physical stamp is activated after purchase through a QR code found on the reverse of the stamp and can be traded. Guernsey Post said the "one-of-a-kind" Royal Golden Guernsey Goat had unique traits, such as fur colour, clothing and randomly assigned traits determined the overall rarity of each goat – common, rare and legendary, it Yabsley said: "By combining physical stamps with a dynamic digital experience, we hope to attract a new generation of collectors with our cyber-stamps, while still honouring the storytelling that make postal stamps so special. "We're proud to say that this is the world's first cyber-stamps with a digital collectible."This innovation helps to ensure that Guernsey Post remains at the forefront of modern philately." The goat stamp concept blocked by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC) in 2024 would have seen the digital version of the stamps become Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).NFTs are considered digital trading cards holding a specific value to a cryptocurrency. The GFSC said the stamps did not meet the requirements of the Lending, Credit and Finance (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2022 and blocked their introduction. Pre-sale of the digital stamps are due to begin on 9 July.


Geeky Gadgets
an hour ago
- Geeky Gadgets
Summer 2025: Top Budget Smartphones Revealed
The summer of 2025 offers a diverse range of budget smartphones that combine affordability with impressive features. Whether you prioritize display quality, battery life, gaming performance, or camera capabilities, there's a device tailored to meet your needs. The video below from Tech Spurt explores the top budget-friendly smartphones available this season, helping you make an informed decision based on your preferences. Watch this video on YouTube. Nothing Phone 3A: Stylish and Versatile The Nothing Phone 3A stands out as a stylish and functional option, priced at just over £300. Its OLED display delivers vibrant and sharp visuals, making it ideal for media consumption. The telephoto camera ensures decent photography performance, while the Nothing OS introduces the Essential Space feature, which enhances multitasking for productivity-focused users. A unique feature of this phone is its flashing back panel, which doubles as a notification system, adding a distinctive and practical flair. With solid gaming performance, the Nothing Phone 3A is a versatile choice for users seeking a balance of design, functionality, and performance. CMF Phone 2 Pro: Durable and Customizable For those who prioritize durability, the CMF Phone 2 Pro is a compelling choice. This rugged smartphone combines a customizable design with reliable performance, all at a lower price than the Nothing Phone 3A. It features an AMOLED display, a basic telephoto camera, and dependable battery life. While it may not excel in heavy gaming, its sturdy construction makes it an excellent option for users who need a tough yet stylish device. The CMF Phone 2 Pro is particularly suited for individuals who value resilience without compromising on essential features. Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G: Affordable Premium Features The Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G offers premium features at an affordable price of under £300. Its 6.7-inch AMOLED display supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+, delivering an immersive viewing experience for streaming and gaming. The phone also features water resistance and decent battery life, making it a reliable companion for everyday use. While it handles moderate gaming effectively, its camera performance can be inconsistent, especially in low-light conditions. This device is an excellent choice for users seeking advanced display technology and solid overall performance without exceeding their budget. Xiaomi Poco F7: Built for Gamers The Xiaomi Poco F7 is a powerhouse designed for gaming enthusiasts. It features a 6.8-inch AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 chipset, and a massive 6,500 mAh battery with fast charging capabilities. These specifications ensure smooth gameplay and extended usage. Additionally, the phone includes IP68 water resistance, enhancing its durability for everyday use. However, extended gaming sessions may cause the device to heat up, which could affect comfort for heavy users. For those who prioritize gaming performance above all else, the Xiaomi Poco F7 is a top contender. Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro: Unique Design with Reliable Performance The Xiaomi Poco X7 Pro appeals to users who value both aesthetics and functionality. It's Iron Man-themed special edition offers a distinctive design that stands out from the crowd. The phone is equipped with an AMOLED display, a Dimensity 8400 Ultra chipset, and IP68 water resistance, ensuring reliable performance and durability. The 6,000 mAh battery provides ample power for daily tasks, making it a practical choice for users who want a blend of style and performance. OnePlus Nord C4 Lite 5G: Balanced and Practical The OnePlus Nord C4 Lite 5G delivers a well-rounded experience for everyday use. Its OLED display, stereo speakers, and headphone jack make it an excellent choice for media consumption. The 5,100 mAh battery supports 80W fast charging, ensuring minimal downtime and convenience for users on the go. While its Snapdragon 695 chipset limits gaming capabilities, the phone excels in handling routine tasks and casual use. This device is ideal for users seeking a practical and balanced smartphone for daily activities. Motorola Moto G56 5G: Dependable and Durable The Motorola Moto G56 5G is a reliable option for users who prioritize durability and dependability. It features an LCD display, IP68 water resistance, and stereo speakers, making sure a robust and enjoyable user experience. The phone's Dimensity 7060 chipset may restrict gaming performance, but its dependable battery life makes it a trustworthy choice for general use. This device is particularly suited for individuals who need a rugged smartphone that can withstand everyday challenges. Motorola Moto G35: Simplicity and Longevity The Motorola Moto G35 focuses on delivering essential features with a clean and straightforward Android experience. Its excellent battery life ensures long-lasting performance, making it a reliable option for users who value simplicity over advanced features. While its performance and camera capabilities are basic, the Moto G35 is an ideal choice for those who prioritize longevity and ease of use. Motorola Moto G05: Affordable Secondary Option For users on a tight budget, the Motorola Moto G05 is an excellent secondary phone or a suitable choice for children. It offers basic functionality at an extremely affordable price, making it ideal for users with minimal requirements or as a backup device. This phone is perfect for those who need a simple and cost-effective solution. HMD Fusion: Sustainable and Repairable The HMD Fusion stands out for its emphasis on sustainability. Its repairable and expandable design makes it an environmentally friendly choice for buyers who prioritize longevity. Running on stock Android, it provides a user-friendly interface and dependable battery life. However, its low-resolution screen and limited performance may not satisfy users seeking advanced features. The HMD Fusion is a great option for environmentally conscious individuals who value sustainability and practicality. Unlock more potential in Best budget smartphones by reading the previous articles we have written. Source & Image Credit: Tech Spurt Filed Under: Android News, Mobile Phone News, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.