Last week, my friend’s house burned to the ground. The fire started with a lithium battery stored in its case on his roofed front porch. He caught it early and emptied a fire extinguisher on it, but it made no difference. The flames spread fast, and within five minutes the entire house was engulfed. The fire department arrived just nine minutes later, but there was nothing left to save. His family of four escaped with only the clothes on their backs. Tragically, their cat didn’t make it.
Efoil battery fires happen more often than we like to admit, and it’s time we talk openly about the risks. We all love this sport, and brand loyalty can make it hard to acknowledge these hazards or share incidents when they happen. There are no formal statistics on efoil battery fires, but anecdotally, they’re far too common.
Understanding Lithium Battery Runaway Fires
A lithium battery fire isn’t a typical flame you can easily put out. What makes these fires so dangerous is a phenomenon called thermal runaway: a battery cell becomes unstable, often from overcharging, physical damage, or a manufacturing defect, and its internal temperature spikes. This can trigger a self-sustaining chemical reaction that releases flammable gases and intense heat. Once it starts, thermal runaway can cause the battery to ignite or even explode, with fires reaching over 1,000°F (538°C). These fires are extremely hard to control, and conventional extinguishers are often useless against them.
The battery that caused my friend’s fire wasn’t from an efoil. It was a similarly sized lithium battery from a U.S.-based watercraft company. The brand doesn’t matter here. The reality is that all lithium batteries, regardless of manufacturer, are vulnerable to runaway fires under the wrong conditions.
What You Should Do Right Away
Never store your battery near people or valuable property, and never store it in your home, office, or vehicle. If you live somewhere without freezing temperatures or extreme heat, a cool, shaded area away from your home, protected from the elements, is a safer option. A standalone shed is a good choice.
Fireproof cases and fire blankets are widely advertised, but nothing we know of can fully withstand the thermal runaway (and possible explosion) of an efoil-size lithium battery. That said, options like these, or storing your battery inside a metal enclosure such as a grill or ammo box, might buy you precious time to react.
How to Protect and Maintain Your Efoil Lithium Battery
Always handle your efoil battery with care. Avoid dropping or striking it. Before every ride, inspect it for damage, including swelling, cracks, or corrosion around the terminals. If anything looks off, don’t use the battery and contact your efoil rep.
Monitor the battery’s temperature during and after use; overheating can signal a serious issue. Always charge it with the manufacturer-provided charger and follow the charging instructions carefully. Non-approved chargers can cause overcharging, short circuits, or battery failure.
Additional tips:
Store your battery in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and flammable materials.
Avoid fully discharging the battery; keep it between 20%–80% charged for extended storage.
Never leave your battery unattended while charging.
Keep connectors clean and dry to prevent short circuits or connection issues.
If the battery gets submerged in saltwater, rinse it with fresh water and dry it thoroughly before handling or charging.
Below are some solutions used by fellow efoil riders, including my own (some may work better than others, so judge for yourself). If you’ve found a product or practice that works for you, share it. Let’s look out for each other and help reduce the risk.
STAY SAFE, FRIENDS!
