Lithium-ion battery fires in Japan jump 33% in 2024, surge continues
TOKYO (Kyodo) — The Japanese fire agency said Thursday that fires linked to lithium-ion batteries jumped 33 percent to 982 cases in 2024, a sharper increase than the 23 percent rise the previous year
By product type, power banks accounted for 30 percent of the total at 290 incidents in 2024, followed by power tools at 89 and mobile phones at 85, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.
Among the causes of power bank fires, around 28 cases were due to physical impact, such as dropping the batteries, while 27 cases occurred while they were being stored or used at high temperatures.
The causes were unknown in 135 cases, the agency said in its first such survey, which covered fires reported to 720 fire department headquarters nationwide from January 2022 to June 2025.
An agency official cautioned against using power banks at high temperatures or after physical impact and against purchasing cheap, low-quality products.
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Lithium-ion battery fires in Japan jump 33% in 2024, surge continues, source
