Brantford Fire reminds residents about lithium-ion battery safety

BRANTFORD, ON – The Brantford Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®), the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 100 years, to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home!^TM from October 5 to 11, 2025. The campaign aims to educate residents about the importance of safely buying, charging, and recycling lithium-ion batteries.

“This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign focuses on educating the public about the importance of researching the products you are using to charge your devices and how to properly dispose of them,” said Brantford Fire Chief Todd Binkley. “Many people don’t realize that some of the products sold online and in stores don’t meet safety standards and can increase the risk of fire.”

The Brantford Fire Department encourages all residents to embrace the 2025 Fire Prevention Week theme and offers these key safety tips and guidelines:

• Only buy lithium-ion batteries that are stamped with nationally recognized lab testing markings on the packaging and product
• Always use the cables that came with the device to charge it and do not overcharge. Follow the instructions from the manufacturer and never charge your device under a pillow, in bed or on a couch.
• Don’t throw lithium-ion batteries in the trash or regular recycling bins because they could catch fire. Recycle your device or battery at a safe battery recycling location. Visit call2recycle.org for more details or bring your dead household batteries out to one of the Fire Prevention Week events.

2025 Fire Prevention Week Events

The Brantford Fire Department is hosting a series of events in support of this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home!^TM. Residents are invited to join Brantford Fire for one or all of the events to safely dispose of single-use and rechargeable dry-cell household batteries (weighing up to 5 kg each), see a fire truck up close, and browse a variety of educational displays:

• Sunday, October 5 at Brantwood Farms, located at 251 Powerline Road, Brantford, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Monday, October 6 at RONA+, located at 218 Henry Street, Brantford, from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Tuesday, October 7 at Costco Wholesale, located at 175 Roy Boulevard, Brantford, from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 8 at the Brantford Public Library, located at 441 St. Paul Avenue, Brantford, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Wednesday, October 8 at the Elements Casino, located at 40 Icomm Drive, Brantford, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Thursday, October 9 at Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre, located at 254 North Park Street, Brantford, from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Friday, October 10 at the Brantford Bulldogs Home Game, located at the TD Civic Centre, 79 Market Street South, Brantford, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Saturday, October 11 at the Brantford Farmers’ Market located at 79 Icomm Drive, Brantford, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities in Brantford, please contact the Brantford Fire Department at 519-752-4346 or email fire@brantford.ca and follow Brantford Fire on social media. For more general information about Fire Prevention Week and fire safety, visit Brantford.ca/FirePreventionWeek or www.fpw.org.

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Media Contact:

City of Brantford Communications and Community Engagement

519-759-4150 | communications@brantford.ca