Fire Services Warn Devon & Somerset Residents About Vape Related Fires

The southern fire brigade warns that they have attended 7 separate fires in the area over the last three years. Each of these fires was caused by a vape device incorrectly disposed of.

News source Plymouth Live reported that the fires were even taking place in bin lorries who collected the household waste. Vape devices which still have any battery power may go off when the pressure of rubbish hitting the power button takes place. This can happen in the bin in your own home, or in the truck or household waste processing centre that it ends up in.

This report from December shows this problem in graphic detail, as fire brigade members put out the fire in the back of a waste lorry.

Indoor Vape Users are Triggering Fire Alarms

An additional problem lies in vape related fire alarm incidents. The same fire service announced that they have attended 21 false alarms in the same period. These false alarm incidents are the cause of large clouds of vapour triggering smoke sensors in smoke alarms. As well as home fire alarms, shop and public building fire alarms can go off in response to the vapour just as easily as they once responded to cigarettes.

Potential Solutions to the Vape Related Fire Problem

What’s the solution to these vape related fires and fire alarms? The government could introduce the same fine for those caught smoking indoors for those caught vaping indoors. Currently we have no such laws in the UK, which makes the fire alarm problem hard to tackle. If there was a categorical rule about vaping indoors, there would be far fewer smoke alarms triggered.

The UK could benefit from an education program which highlights how to dispose of your vape device. Your vape device should be completely empty before you dispose of it. You dispose of a vape device battery safely by taking it to your local recycling centre. Ensure your vape has no battery power left before you dispose of it. The rest of the vape device can be placed in the recycling bin as long as you have cleaned the tank out.

Further Help Disposing of a Vape Device

You can find full instructions on how to safely dispose of your vape device on the Vape Direct website. We also give industry-backed advice on how to switch between coils, safely clean your tank, help the environment, and other how-to help guides that will turn you from a beginner to a vaping pro. You can find our top vaping products online or in our vape stores.