Fire safety in a changing world

The European Commission, consumers and industry outlined fire safety challenges and solutions for tomorrow’s society.

Heikki Väänänen, European Commission (DG GROW) underlined that fire risks are both increasing and changing, including with climate change, demographic changes, denser urbanisation and different urban uses, new materials and technologies. We need to act now to address these new challenges and for this exchange of knowledge and experience between different professionals and stakeholders is essential.

Michela Vuerich, ANEC (European association for consumer representation in standardisation) underlined the need for harmonised and reliable fire and safety data, and the importance of public awareness in addressing fire risks. ANEC supports EFSA (European Fire Safety Alliance) call for an EU fire safety strategy, addressing in particular new fire risks, the needs of vulnerable populations and carbon monoxide risks. ANEC highlighted the need to address emerging risks from electrification and to promote research into safer, energy-efficient homes, while avoiding any trade-off between safety and energy performance. ANEC also calls for fire safety labelling of products and to improve systems for reporting dangerous products.

Paul van der Zanden, General Director Euralarm, underlined that innovation without fire safety would lead to societal blockages. Lithium-ion batteries are now ubiquitous in homes, offices, transport, bring specific new fire risks. Solar panels on roofs, with DC current, sometimes installed close to flammable insulation materials, pose specific challenges. Regulations and standards are not keeping up with innovation despite awareness of the fire risks. These new risks add to the long-standing fire dangers in our homes, which continue to cause losses and deaths: cooking, heating, electrical failures. Fire safety in an electrifying world can be improved by promoting a holistic approach to fire safety, raise awareness and invest in education. As far as batteries are concerned, there should be quality requirements, supported by regulation on battery fire safety.

Thorsten Teichert, Euralarm, noted that 4 – 5 000 people continue to die in fires every year in Europe, mostly in homes, with smoke being the main cause of death. Yet the public continues to believe that “it won’t happen to me”. Home fire risks have changed considerably over recent decades, with much more synthetic materials present, which burns hotter and faster, with more toxic fumes. Although construction products are regulated at the EU level (Construction Products Regulation), building and electrical safety regulations are not. Euralarm calls for alignment of regulations and investing in enforcement, combined with continued community education. Residents should test alarms regularly and stay informed while installers should follow standards, get trained and verify installations.

In other webinars in European Fire Safety Week, the European Commission actions on for fire safety were presented:

Petar Parushev, European Commission Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST) explained how Safety Gate, the EU Rapid Alert System, helps protect consumers from dangerous non-food products across the European Single Market. The presentation outlined how Safety Gate alerts are created and shared among Member States’ national authorities, and how citizens can access information on unsafe products through the Safety Gate portal. Specific focus was given to the fire risk trends identified in recent years, and particularly to issues linked to lithium-ion batteries in motor vehicles, e-bikes, scooters and power banks, as well as faulty chargers, household appliances and extension leads. Finally, he presented the Coordinated Activities on the Safety of Products (CASP), which bring together national authorities to test products, exchange good practices and raise awareness, including several projects focused specifically on fire-risk products such as batteries, heaters and electrical toys.

Görkem Türer, E-Mobility Europe, presented the “Guidance on fire safety for electric vehicles parked and charging infrastructure in covered parking spaces”, developed by the EU Expert Group Sustainable Transport Forum (STF) and published by the European Commission DG Mobility and Transport. This 86-page report summarises policies in place in different European countries, fire risks related to electric vehicles in garages fire detection, prevention and protection measures and recommendations for firefighters and for authorities. The report notes that cable systems should respect non-fire propagation fire standards, charging installations should be certified, parking structures should be fireproof and doors should be fire resistant (E60C) and that flame retardants are one element which can reduce or slow battery fire risks (in batteries, in components such as battery enclosures). One of the four recommendations to authorities is to “better regulate and enforce the fire safety requirements for enclosures, plugs, and sockets used in BEV recharging infrastructure by raising the minimum fire safety / flammability standards as well as should introduce fire safety requirements and tests for addressing new fire safety challenges for electric powertrains and Li-ion batteries”.

https://www.europeanfiresafetyalliance.org/european-fire-safety-week/edition-2025