On average in the United States, there are more than two reports each week of battery-related fires, smoke or similar incidents on planes or at airports, according to voluntary reporting by passenger and cargo airlines.
That’s tiny compared with the several hundred thousand passenger flights each week.
Air travel is very safe. But recent high-profile airplane mishaps combined with the small but growing number of battery-related fires can make it unnerving to fly.
I’ll walk you through the dangers of battery fires in flight, why vape pens are a leading cause and what we can do to keep one another safe.
Yes, e-cigarette batteries can catch fire
Vaping devices are powered by lithium-ion batteries, like those in smartphones, wireless earbuds and most other rechargeable devices.
Generally, the fire risk is lower from smaller batteries, like those in vape pens and electric toothbrushes, than from larger ones in laptops, e-bikes and electric cars. Any lithium-ion battery fire, though, can spread quickly.
Last year, about 35 percent of battery-related fire or smoke incidents reported by airlines were caused by vape pens, according to records compiled by the safety nonprofit UL Standards & Engagement.
That’s at least double the share of battery-related fires from other leading sources — portable power banks and phones.
Since more of us are schlepping phones on board than vape pens, the numbers suggest the risk is relatively higher from a vape pen.
The number of battery fire incidents is very small. And the Federal Aviation Administration, which has a separate database of battery-related problems, shows that most overheating e-cigarettes are contained without harm.
But airplanes are a unique setting. If something goes wrong with a battery-powered device on board, it can go very wrong.
How to reduce the risk of in-flight battery fires
Don’t pack e-cigarettes or other battery-powered devices in your checked luggage. Airlines tell you this, but people may not know the rules or forget that they packed a vape pen or portable battery in a suitcase that gets gate-checked.
The risk is that no one will see a fire that starts in the baggage hold before it grows out of control.
Don’t charge vape pens on board the plane. It’s not allowed. Take that rule seriously. There’s typically a higher fire risk when a battery is charging.
Last year, a Spirit Airlines flight to Orlando made an emergency landing because of a fire from a vape pen that was charging in an overhead bin.
A reminder: You’re not allowed to smoke on planes. That includes e-cigarettes.
Tell a flight attendant or other personnel immediately if you see smoke or fire. Airline crews have special training and fire containment bags for battery-powered gadgets.
The faster passengers notice that a battery-powered device is overheating, bulging or catching fire, the better the chance the risk is contained.
Keep your vape pen within arm’s reach. And treat it gently. Eric Soule, an East Carolina University professor who specializes in e-cigarettes and public health, believes travelers with vape pens might smush a bag into the overhead bin and not realize the activation button could be pressed by accident. That might cause a fire.
In flight or anywhere, Soule said, “People need to know where their e-cigarettes are at all times.”
If you keep a vape pen in your pocket and the battery overheats, get it away from your body quickly. People are burned that way.
If your vaping device has an on/off switch, turn it off before you put it in your pocket or a bag.
Also, if you crunch your phone or vape pen in your airplane seat mechanism, tell the flight crew. A damaged battery increases the potential fire risk.
What’s beyond your personal control. E-cigarettes exist in a regulatory gray area. Many devices you can buy are not authorized by the FDA and essentially illegal.
Dave Wroth with UL Standards & Engagement said the organization is worried that popular but unauthorized types of disposable vape pens may lack effective battery safety mechanisms.
The American Vapor Manufacturers Association, an industry trade group, said that if the FDA approved more vaping products, there would be fewer battery safety problems from illegal devices. (Anti-tobacco groups may not like that.)
The FDA last year proposed new manufacturing requirements for e-cigarettes, including their batteries.
“The FDA remains committed to protecting the public health by ensuring the regulation of tobacco products, including efforts to address e-cigarette products catching fire or exploding,” the agency said.
