As if landlords don’t have enough to worry about – here’s another risk

There’s an issue with the safe disposal of Vapes - disposal in normal household bins has been identified as a fire risk, as research in UK fire hotspots reveals

It’s been estimated that 11% of UK adults vape. That’s 5.6 million people, and it’s been revealed that many Brits are guilty of incorrectly disposing of their vapes. With an eye-watering 8.2 million single-use, pod, and big puff vapes thrown away or incorrectly recycled each week in the UK, that represents a real risk to lives and property.

What are vapes?

Vapes, for the uninitiated, are electrical devices, and like any other electrical devices that produce heat, vapes pose a fire risk. This risk is heightened when they have been tampered with or incorrectly disposed of.

As many tenants are consumers of tobacco substitutes using vapes, these facts are of real concern to landlords and their insurers. Landlords should consider issuing warnings to their tenants who may be consumers about the dangers and the correct way to dispose of vapes.

The data

New data published by a major retailer of these products -  The Electric Tobacconist - has revealed that vape-related fires in the UK have quadrupled since 2020 (+348%). These experts on vaping products sent Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to all 49 fire and rescue services in the UK, to determine the areas with the most vape and e-cigarette-related fires. They also spoke with UK fire services to determine the best way to properly dispose of vapes in order to prevent fires.

The Vape study highlighted:

• Vape-related fires in the UK have more than quadrupled (+348%) since 2020
• There have been 1,056 vape fires across the UK since 2020, equivalent to roughly 1 vape fire every 1.7 days—almost every other day—since 2020
• Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service reported the most fires since 2020 (159)
• Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service were called out to the most vape fires in 2024, with 59 — an increase of 195% compared to 2022 (20)

The fire services which attended the most vape fires since 2020

There’s a full set of the data available here.

Note: *Any fire service that did not hold the complete or partial data was omitted from the study. **Any fire service which did not respond to the Freedom of Information request within the 20-working day timeframe or where clarifications extended the response date were omitted from the study.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service recorded the most vape fire callouts since 2020

Electric Tobacconist’s FOI request revealed that from 2020 to 2024, there had been a 348% increase in vape-related fires soaring from 89 reports in 2020 to 399 in 2024, totalling 1,056 fires in five years. This is equivalent to roughly 1 vape fire every 1.7 days, almost every other day, since 2020. In 2020, it was reported that 3.3 million Brits vaped compared to 2024, where that figure rose to 5.6 million, representing a 70% increase - a much smaller increase than the number of fires. But where are the vape fire hotspots in the UK?

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service reported the highest number of fires between 2020 to 2024, with 159, with 2024 as their worst year for vape-related fire callouts (49). 2020 saw 13 fires, marking a 227% increase from 2020 and 2024. Delving further into the data, 92% (147) of fires within the region occurred in a prison or youth offenders’ institution - all of these fires were deemed deliberate, highlighting the risk associated with the misuse or tampering of vape devices.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service saw a 195% increase in vape fires between 2022-2024

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service were called out to the most vape-related fires in 2024, with 59 incidents — a staggering increase of 195% compared to 2022, which saw just 20. Top causes for fires in Greater Manchester included careless handling, discarded E-cigarettes, and deliberately combining heat sources and combustibles. Fire services have warned that the compact yet powerful batteries in vapes can overheat, short-circuit, or explode if damaged or improperly managed, stressing the urgent need for better public awareness and safer disposal methods.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service reported 91 vape-related fires between 2020-2024, the third highest in the UK, with the most callouts in 2024 (40), a 900% increase from the 4 in 2020. This follows the trend across the UK of vape fires increasing in 2024.

How to correctly dispose of vapes

Why can’t I just put my vape in the normal bin?

Pascal Culverhouse, Founder and Managing Director at Electric Tobacconist, explains why vapes cannot be disposed of like normal household waste:

“The key reason that vapes should not be placed in your normal bin with your other household waste is that they contain lithium batteries. Whilst many reusable vapes allow you to remove the lithium battery to recycle this separately, disposable vapes have the lithium battery inside the enclosed casing making it very difficult to remove.

“With any lithium batteries, or electricals containing lithium batteries, there is a serious fire risk if they are placed in your normal household bins or recycling. Lithium batteries can explode and catch fire if they are damaged, so it is always the safest option to follow your city’s guidance on vape recycling. UK residents can access tools such as Recycle Your Electricals to find their nearest donation or recycling point.”

How to prevent fires from vapes

Understanding safe use of electrical equipment with lithium batteries including eScooters and bikes, computers and cars is of paramount importance for reducing the risk of fires, and there is no exception for vapes. 

What are the dos and don’ts of vaping safely?  

You might consider informing your tenants of these.

The experts in fire safety, an Oxfordshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said:

DO

• Buy products from reputable dealers.
• Carefully follow the instructions for use and pay close attention to any warnings supplied with the product.
• Only use chargers designed for use with the specific device. Do not ‘mix and match’. Some chargers may overcharge the product, leading to an increased risk of fire.
• Protect batteries against being damaged, crushed or punctured and don’t immerse in water.
• Stop using/charging your vape if you notice any of the following: overheating; vape becomes very hot to touch, noise; starts to make unusual sounds, performance; the battery won't fully charge and or takes a long time to charge and any sign or smell of smoke.

DON’T

• Never leave a vaping device charging unattended and never leave them charging overnight – especially next to your bed.
• Never leave on continuous charge, remove as soon as fully charged.
• Do not cover batteries when charging, as this runs the risk of overheating.
• Avoid storing, using, or charging batteries in extremes of high or low temperatures. This includes leaving unattended in vehicles on hot and sunny days or freezing cold nights.
• Never use a vaping device close to medical oxygen, airflow mattresses. or where emollient creams or airflow mattresses are being used.
• Do not buy counterfeit goods, as batteries and/or chargers are unlikely to have overcurrent protection and could lead to batteries exploding.
• Never let your battery come into contact with metal items such as coins or keys in a pocket or bag, as this can cause a short circuit and explosion.
• Never modify or adapt personal vaporisers and their associated kit.
• Never use damaged equipment or batteries.

Ensure your smoke alarms are working, and in the event of a fire involving a lithium-ion battery, do not attempt to put it out. Get out, stay out, and call 999. Dispose properly. All retailers that sell vapes in the UK must take back the old one to recycle, so it should be as easy to recycle them as it is to buy them. They can be dropped off at recycling points or at household recycling centres. Check your local council website for details.

They must never be disposed of in a home waste bin.

[1] Ash | “Use of vapes (e-cigarettes) among adults in Great Britain“

[2] British Safety Council | “Unsafe disposal of millions of vapes a week causing environmental damage and rise in lithium-ion battery fires”

See also: A major risk to life, limb and property - lies hidden in plain sight

Main image credit: Anastasla Shuraeva