Firefighters have issued an e-bike safety warning after four people were taken to hospital following a flat fire on St Leonard's Street in Bow.
A flat on the first floor of a three-storey block was damaged by the fire. Five people left the building before the Brigade arrived. Four of them were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews suffering smoke inhalation and the other was treated on scene.
The Brigade's fire investigators believe the fire was accidental and caused by the failure of lithium-ion batteries in a converted e-bike that was being charged.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "The e-bike was being charged in a hallway which hampered some of the occupants' escape and led to two of them having to jump from a first floor window.
"The other three managed to escape via an internal staircase.
"As this incident shows, you should never block your escape route with anything, including bikes and scooters. Store them somewhere away from a main through route.
"Our advice is to try and store and charge these items in a safe location if possible, such as in a shed or garage, and if they have to be stored inside, make sure there is smoke detection fitted and your means of escape is not obstructed.
“However we know this won’t be possible for everyone, so if you are charging them indoors, please follow our advice on using safe charging and ensure everyone in your home knows what to do in the event of a fire.
“Make sure they are charged in a room where there is smoke detection and on a hard, flat surface.
“We would also suggest people try not to charge them when they are asleep, so that if there is an issue they can react quickly.”
The Brigade's 999 Control Officers took nine calls to the blaze.
The Brigade was called at 0422 and the fire was under control by 0459. Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters from Poplar, Stratford, Bethnal Green, Millwall and Homerton fire stations were at the scene.
E-bike and e-scooter safety advice: