The Terra Drone building caught fire on Tuesday (December 9, 2025), resulting in at least 22 fatalities. The blaze was reportedly triggered by lithium batteries used in the drones.

“We are still investigating. Since it involves lithium batteries located in the lower area, a reassessment may be needed,” said the Head of Jakarta’s Fire and Rescue Department, Bayu Megantara, as quoted by Detik.com on Wednesday (December 10, 2025).

Fires involving lithium are notoriously difficult to extinguish and carry significantly higher risks compared to regular fires.

According to Cellblock, the danger arises from lithium’s reaction with water. When this reaction occurs, it produces hydrogen gas and hydroxide.

Lithium hydroxide can irritate the skin and damage the eyes, and it dissolves easily in water. However, the more critical issue is hydrogen gas, which is extremely flammable.

When lithium comes into contact with water, it generates highly combustible gas, making the use of water very dangerous in extinguishing such fires.

The site also explained that exposure to air or moisture can produce hydrofluoric acid if a lithium-ion battery leaks. This substance is highly toxic and can cause severe irritation to the eyes and lungs.

The fire risk is further increased due to lithium’s tendency to explode. Lithium batteries, both internally and externally, are fragile because their protective layers are extremely thin while the cells require minimal separation.

Overheated cells may expand, ultimately causing them to explode rapidly.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) once recommended the use of halon and water to contain lithium fires, but this method was discontinued due to halon’s damaging effects on the ozone layer.

Today, the most common method for extinguishing lithium-related fires is using dry chemical fire extinguishers.