On June 3, 2016, about 4:05 p.m. local time, a FedEx W900 local delivery truck and all of its cargo were destroyed by a fire while the driver was delivering packages to a business in Brampton, Ontario, Canada; no injuries were reported. The fire began among a shipment of four large-format lithium-ion batteries, each of which was individually packaged in a fiberboard box. No other dangerous goods were on board. The international shipment of the four lithium-ion batteries originated from Braille Battery, Inc. (Braille), a battery manufacturer located in Sarasota, Florida, and were destined for Brampton, Ontario, Canada. The batteries were initially transported by FedEx on two separate US-registered cargo airplanes before being transferred to the delivery truck. The fire occurred about 10 hours after the batteries were offloaded from the cargo airplane at the Toronto, Canada, International Airport. Figure 1 shows both the interior and exterior damage to the FedEx truck. Estimated damages were over $71,000. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notified the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the accident over concerns that the fire could also occur during air transport.
We determined that the probable cause of the fire on a FedEx delivery truck in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, on June 3, 2016, was an electrical short circuit between the battery terminal bolt and the upper cells of the lithium-ion battery module, causing a thermal runaway within the battery, igniting the battery and its packaging. Contributing to the electrical short circuit was Braille Battery, Inc.’s design that did not protect against short circuiting. Also contributing to the consequences of the accident was Braille Battery, Inc.’s use of combustible packing materials.
