Two Lithium-Ion Battery Fires in Three Weeks Destroy Homes in Pasco County, Florida

Two house fires caused by lithium-ion batteries destroyed homes in Pasco County, Florida, less than three weeks apart. The first, on Aug. 31 in Zephyrhills, started in a shed where tool batteries were charging. The second, on Sept. 18 in New Port Richey, started with an aftermarket e-bike battery. Between them, two homes were lost, a family dog died and six people were displaced, according to Pasco County Fire Rescue.

The two fires

Zephyrhills, Aug. 31. At around 8:30 p.m., lithium-ion batteries charging electric landscaping equipment (a blower, a weed-eater and a drill) caught fire in a backyard shed, Hoodline reported. The fire destroyed Steve and Rebecca Sims’s home, along with a mobility lift and Rebecca Sims’s prosthetic leg. She escaped safely, and no injuries were reported.

New Port Richey, Sept. 18. Pasco County Fire Rescue found heavy fire and smoke at a home in the 4000 block of Grouper Lane. Investigators said the resident had recently bought an e-bike with an aftermarket battery. After it was charged, the battery didn’t fit the bike correctly, so it was left disconnected, and “a short time later, the occupant discovered the battery venting,” Fox 13 reported. Four adults and two children were displaced, one dog died, and the home was declared a total loss.

Details as of Sept. 19, 2026.

A familiar pattern in the region

These aren’t the first battery fires to worry Tampa Bay fire officials. In July 2025, neighboring Hernando County had two lithium-ion fires, one from a battery left charging on a wooden workbench in Spring Hill and one from a golf-cart battery in Brookridge. At the time, Hernando County Fire Chief Paul Hasenmeier said: “Probably right now our leading cause of fires in residential houses is from lithium-ion batteries.”

Pasco County Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Shawn Whited, speaking after an earlier battery fire in January, noted that lithium-ion batteries store a lot of energy in a small space and urged people never to charge devices unattended or near combustible materials.

The two 2026 fires share risk factors fire officials warn about often: charging while unattended, charging next to things that burn, and batteries that aren’t the original ones made for the device.

What residents can do

NFPA’s safe-charging guidance, the focus of Fire Prevention Week 2026, comes down to a few habits:

• Use the charger that came with the device, or one the manufacturer approves.
• Charge on a hard, flat surface, away from anything that can burn.
• Unplug devices once they’re fully charged, and don’t charge them overnight or while you’re out.
• Stop using a battery that is swelling, hot, leaking, smoking or making noise.
• If a battery starts venting or catches fire, get everyone out and call 911.

FireVerge’s Florida state page and causes section show how electrical and equipment fires compare with other home fire causes.