The most significant risk with the large format cells is shorting of the terminals.  The terminals are stainless so tend to be always clean and easy to short out with metal tools.  The high power density and reduced internal resistance as they heat means they will readily disintegrate a spanner.   Lead/Acid batteries often have soft metal terminal posts that are not as readily shorted.  If shorted the soft metal melts; acting as a fuse.  Also the battery internal resistance rises rapidly under sustained high current.  

I have had a fire on a lead/acid car battery with a plastic case cause by the earth brade shorting the battery.  It occurred while driving so was fed by the alternator but I did not know there was a fire until I stopped and saw smoke.  Not sure if the lead/acid battery alone could set itself alight from a short. 

I use cap head or button head terminal bolts that are tightened with an Allen key.  The key set has a plastic handle.  Using a hexagonal head bolt with standard spanner is risky business.  Some cells are supplied with hex head bolts.  

Always cover the top of the battery bank with an insulted cover to prevent accidental shorting. 

This very large catamaran in the same row as the 18m proa at St Kilda was destroyed by fire:

It is believed the fire was caused by a mains powered battery charger.  I do not have any more detail on actual cause but there are many and varies hazards on a boat.  A well set up set of lithium batteries is no more hazardous than the myriad of other exposures that need to be managed.

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