E-Bike battery explodes in Reutte: Bicycle parking area in Tyrol burned down

Major fire department operation

The Reutte volunteer fire department deployed 5 vehicles and 37 personnel and was ultimately able to extinguish the fire. The extinguishing work dragged on for several hours because embers kept flaring up again and the entire area had to be checked.

During the extinguishing work, Bahnhofstraße had to be closed to all traffic. The closure affected through traffic as well as local residents; pedestrians were rerouted over a wide area. It was not until late morning that the street could be reopened, according to police.

Investigations into the cause

No one was injured in the incident. No persons came to harm in the incident. Thus, according to the current state of the investigation, only property damage to the bicycle parking area and to several bikes parked there was recorded.

It is still unclear how the battery explosion could have occurred. Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire. Both a technical defect in the lithium-ion battery and a charging error or external damage to the battery are therefore possible.

Risks of lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries can enter what is known as thermal runaway when damaged, overheated, or defective. During this process, the cell continues to heat itself autonomously, flammable gases are produced, and the battery can explode in a combustion event. Experts recommend charging batteries only with original chargers and in fire-safe rooms.

The incident in Reutte is part of a growing number of fires attributed to defective or improperly handled e-bike batteries. Just last week, a battery caught fire in an apartment in another Tyrolean municipality. The Tyrol State Police Directorate announced that it would continue to inform the public about the safe handling of the energy storage devices.