- Fire incidents involving vapes reached a record 172 in 2025.
- Cases have jumped by more than 450 per cent since 2021.
- Experts warn many smaller battery fires may never be officially recorded.
Britain is seeing a sharp rise in vape-related fires despite the introduction of a disposable vape ban, with new figures pointing to growing concerns over the safety of lithium-ion batteries used in e-cigarettes.
According to data obtained through Freedom of Information requests by Zurich Insurance, fire services recorded 172 vape-related fire incidents in 2025, the highest figure on record. The total marks an increase of more than 450 per cent from the 31 incidents reported in 2021 and is around 30 per cent higher than the previous year.
A growing fire risk hiding in plain sight
The figures, compiled from responses provided by 38 of Britain's 49 fire brigades, only include incidents serious enough to require attendance from emergency services. That suggests the true scale of the problem could be significantly higher.
Smaller fires are often dealt with before emergency crews arrive, particularly in waste collection vehicles, bins and public spaces. As a result, many battery-related incidents may never enter official records.
The latest numbers come less than a year after Britain introduced a ban on disposable vapes in June 2025, a move aimed at tackling both youth vaping and the growing environmental burden created by single-use devices. However, the data suggests concerns surrounding battery safety continue to persist.
Charlie Bush, head of property claims at Zurich UK, reportedly said lithium-ion batteries can behave unpredictably when damaged or improperly handled, creating intense heat and increasing the risk of serious fires.
"Our figures show the risk of fire and therefore damage and injury is a growing threat here and now," Bush reportedly said in a news report.
More users, more batteries, more incidents
The rise in fire incidents has coincided with the growing popularity of vaping across Britain.
Data from the Office for National Statistics shows around 5.4 million people aged 16 and over now use e-cigarettes either daily or occasionally. In 2024, vape users outnumbered cigarette smokers for the first time, with the number of smokers standing at roughly 4.9 million.
Concerns also remain around youth vaping. An estimated 400,000 children aged between 11 and 17, equivalent to around 7 per cent of that age group, are reported to use vapes regularly.
While campaigners and policymakers continue to focus on reducing vaping among young people, the latest fire data is likely to renew attention on another challenge: what happens to millions of battery-powered devices once they are damaged, discarded or improperly disposed of.
Industry experts have increasingly warned that lithium-ion batteries can ignite when crushed, punctured or exposed to excessive heat, making disposal and recycling a growing issue for local authorities, waste operators and emergency services alike.
With vape use remaining widespread across Britain, safety specialists suggest the pressure on fire services and waste-management systems could continue unless battery handling and disposal practices improve.
