Vapers are being urged not to leave their device on a car dashboard in hot weather, after experts warned that direct sunlight can turn a harmless-looking gadget into a fire risk.
On a warm day, the inside of a parked car can climb well past 50C within half an hour, with the dashboard itself reaching well over 80C. Sustained heat like that can, in some cases, push a lithium battery, the kind used in vapes and other devices such as phones, power banks and wireless earbuds, into what's known as thermal runaway, a chain reaction where the battery overheats and either catches fire or even bursts.
Rising number of vape fires
These fires are notoriously difficult to put out once they start, because the battery can continue to generate heat and reignite even after appearing to be extinguished. UK fire services have recorded a rise, with vape fires climbing from 89 in 2020 to 399 in 2024, according to Freedom of Information data.
Around one in 10 British adults now vape, which is roughly 5.5 million people, and every device runs on a lithium battery.
Safety advice from experts
A spokesperson for vape experts Ecigone said: "If you've accidentally left your vaping device on the dashboard, always check it before using it again once it's cooled down. If it looks different to normal, feels warm, or seems swollen in any way, don't take the risk. Dispose of it properly rather than plugging it in or continuing to use it, because a damaged battery is far more likely to fail and explode."
The simplest fix is to take the device out of the car entirely and give it a quick check before using it again if it has been left in extreme heat. If it shows signs of swelling, leaking or an unusual smell, it should not be used again and should be disposed of correctly.
Recent incident highlights danger
Earlier this year, a man had to be airlifted to hospital after a vape battery exploded and burned the skin off his leg. Gavin Sutherland had the spare lithium battery in his pocket while he was working in a jewellery workshop in Orkney.
"I heard a hiss and slight movement in my pocket," he said. "Then it went off like a firework - the blast searing into my thigh." Gavin had to undergo a skin graft operation. There was no muscle damage but he has been left with permanent scarring.
