Local
E-bike battery fire destroys Multnomah County home as lithium-ion incidents climb across Oregon
A fast-moving e-bike battery explosion torched a two-story home in Multnomah County on Nov. 5, killing the family cat and displacing six residents, amid a statewide surge in lithium-ion battery fires that have increased an average of 19% annually since 2020.
A two-story home along the Historic Columbia River Highway in Multnomah County was destroyed by a fast-moving fire late on Nov. 5 after an e-bike battery exploded, according to emergency dispatch records and Gresham Fire Marshal Shawn Durham.
The blaze started around 11:30 p.m. By the time Gresham and Corbett firefighters arrived, heavy flames had overrun the house, Durham said. All six residents escaped safely, and crews brought the fire under control within an hour. No one was injured, but the family's cat died in the fire.
The incident is part of a sharp and sustained increase in lithium-ion battery fires across Oregon and the nation. A September report from the Oregon State Fire Marshal found 649 such fires in the state between 2020 and 2025, with incidents rising by an average of 19% each year. Just over half occurred in private homes, and the most common devices involved were e-bikes, scooters and remote-control cars.
Lithium-ion batteries power everyday items from phones and laptops to cordless tools and electric lawnmowers, but they are prone to thermal runaway â a chemical chain reaction in which a battery overheats, damages its own components and releases still more heat, according to the Fire Safety Research Institute. Even when they do not explode, the batteries can generate enough heat to ignite nearby materials or emit toxic smoke.
Durham said his department responded to two lithium-ion battery fires caused by power tools in October alone, a pattern that has played out across the Portland area. In 2024, two separate battery explosions burned down two Portland homes on the same day, displacing 11 people. The month before, an e-scooter battery exploded inside an apartment building and set it ablaze. In April 2025, multiple batteries exploded in Portland State University's Engineering Building while students used them for a project, forcing more than 100 students and staff to evacuate.
Fire officials urge residents to avoid dropping or damaging lithium-ion batteries and to dispose of any that show visible defects. If a battery appears to be overheating, bulging or smoking â signs of thermal runaway â they recommend submerging the device in water for at least 48 hours before taking it to a disposal center.
The Nov. 5 fire underscores the growing risks that come with the ubiquity of rechargeable batteries, particularly as e-bikes and scooters become more common in local homes and apartments. With incidents rising steadily, fire officials say awareness and safe handling are critical to preventing the next blaze.