CPSC is finally moving forward to solve the lithium-ion battery fire problem that has been wreaking havoc across the country.  At this point, the Commission has heard from a range of stakeholders, all of whom—including industry representatives, firefighters, and bipartisan members of Congress—support a strong safety standard from CPSC. 

We learn about new lithium-ion battery fires tied to e-bikes, e-scooters and similar products almost every week and hear stories about the people whose lives are lost or upended.  According to news reports: Last month, a lithium-ion battery fire in San Leandro, California killed three generations of the same family, including a 6-year-old girl.[1]  Multiple lithium-ion battery fires have burned down houses this year in Berrien County, Michigan.[2] And an exploding micromobility device battery in a Manhattan apartment injured 43 people, requiring firefighters to rescue residents from the windows of high floors in a 37-story building.[3]

In January 2025, CPSC posted its proposed solution to our website.  In the proposal, we highlighted 227 incidents, resulting in 39 deaths and 181 injuries in the five years from 2019 to 2023.  But we know that this is a vast undercount based on reports from New York City alone. This problem is large and growing, beyond what our limited data shows.  It’s not going away unless we act. 

It’s time to do our part to address this hazard.  There is bipartisan support in both houses of Congress for CPSC to issue a standard addressing this hazard.  I look forward to our vote on April 30 about advancing this critical safety rule that could save lives by preventing fires. 

Yours in safety, 

Commissioner Richard L. Trumka Jr.

*The views expressed in this statement are solely the views of Commissioner Trumka and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commission.
 

[1] Anser Hassan, Family confirms 6-year-old twin, grandma and great-grandma died in San Leandro house fire, ABC 7 News (Mar. 14, 2025), https://abc7news.com/post/san-leandro-fire-family-confirms-6-year-old-twin-grandma-great-dead/16024235/. 

[2] Mark Peterson, Lithium-ion battery powered devices cause 3 house fires in Berrien County, WNDU (Mar. 25, 2025), https://www.wndu.com/2025/03/25/lithium-ion-battery-powered-devices-cause-3-house-fires-berrien-county/. 

[3] Dave Carlin, FDNY: Lithium-ion battery caused fire on 20th floor of Midtown high-rise, dozens injured, CBS News (Nov. 6, 2022), https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/live-updates/midtown-manhattan-high-rise-fire-lithium-ion-battery-fdny-dramatic-rescue/.