UK households urged to check sofas as ‘devastating fire’ warning sent

UK households are being urged to check their sofas and armchairs for misplaced or wedged vapes, following a rise in battery fires linked to e-cigarettes. Experts at Royal Vapery have warned that e-cigarettes trapped between sofa cushions or accidentally sat on can become crushed, bent, or pierced. This damage can trigger a lithium-ion battery to overheat rapidly – a phenomenon known as thermal runaway – which may cause nearby materials to catch fire.

Upholstered furniture, such as sofas, offers an ideal source of fuel, allowing even a small spark to spread rapidly. BirminghamLive has reported that freedom of Information data gathered this year reveal that there have been 1,056 vape- and e-cigarette-related fires across 39 UK fire and rescue services since 2020 – averaging around one every other day.

A Royal Vapery spokesperson said: “We’re asking everyone to check sofas and armchairs now as if a vape has slipped down the side or under a cushion, it is important to recover it before it’s crushed or pierced. And never charge on soft furnishings. A few seconds of care can prevent a devastating fire.”

Analysis by insurers also indicate that vape-related fires have more than doubled over the past two years, with 241 incidents recorded in the past year alone.

Fire services from Essex to London have issued renewed warnings as incidents increase, particularly as users switch from disposable to rechargeable devices following the Government’s ban on single-use vapes.

Vapes hidden in furniture can become physically damaged, which may cause them to fail even when not being charged. Many people charge their devices on soft furnishings, where heat can accumulate and flames can spread quickly.

Several UK fire services explicitly warn against charging e-cigarettes on beds or sofas for this very reason.

Recent incidents show how severe these fires can be: crews in West Sussex say a bedroom was destroyed this month in a blaze believed to have started by a vape; elsewhere, UK investigations have linked fatal or serious fires to e-cigarette batteries.

Always buy e-cigarettes and chargers from trusted, authorised brands. Trading Standards has confiscated millions of illegal vapes in England, highlighting just how widespread unsafe products remain.