SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) — Massachusetts fire officials are urging residents to take extra precautions with electric bikes after the state’s Department of Fire Services said e-bikes have been tied to more than 20 percent of fire incidents reported by local fire departments since 2023.
The warning comes as e-bike popularity surges. Global Market Insights reports that approximately 1.5 million e-bikes were sold in the U.S. in 2025, nearly a half-million more than just three years earlier.
Recent fires linked to batteries and charging
One recent e-bike related fire took place in western Massachusetts in January. Fire investigators pointed to lithium-ion batteries and charging practices for a fire at a two-story house on Essex Street in Holyoke.
“The fires develop rapidly, they develop intense heat, they generate toxic smoke,” said Capt. Drew Piemonte of the Springfield Fire Department.
Piemonte said these fires are some of the toughest to fight. He is warning residents not to charge e-bikes inside their homes.
“You definitely don’t want to charge them inside a structure on a porch. Preferably, you should be charging them outside in a cool dry surface, whether it be on concrete or asphalt away from any combustible materials,” Piemonte explained.
Quality matters when buying e-bikes
Patrick Lessard, manager at Family Bike and Sports in East Longmeadow, said when buying an e-bike, quality matters because the biggest danger is often inside the battery.
“Where the big fires are happening is inside the battery itself, so again, you got to pay a little bit more to get a better-quality product,” Lessard added. “We do see a lot more issues with those $500 to $800 e-bikes. Ours start around $1,900 and they are all electrical components we can diagnose. You don’t have to worry about them catching fire.”
Lessard noted frequent riders should check their battery regularly for signs of wear.
“Especially if you’re commuting and riding a lot in the rain, you want to check your battery out a little more often, see if corrosion is on it,” Lessard explained.
Prevention and safety recommendations
Piemonte said the best defense is prevention. “Using the manufacturer’s charging cords and accessories that come with the bikes, then just storing the batteries in a cool dry place,” he noted.
Fire officials are also reminding riders to follow safety instructions, wear a helmet, and consider a safety class, especially as more younger riders use high-speed e-bikes. “We’d hate to see someone get seriously injured or killed just because they’re on an e-bike and not following the rules of the road,” Piemonte said.
Last week, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey filed the Ride Safe Act, legislation that would regulate e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds based on how fast they can go. The bill creates a four-tier speed framework and gives state regulators the authority to require registration and insurance for higher-speed devices. It has been referred to the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation.
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