Firefighters are issuing another urgent reminder to Londoners about charging and storing e-bikes and e-scooters safely after multiple people had to be rescued from two separate fires over the bank holiday weekend.
The first fire occurred at a semi-detached house on Middleton Road in Dalston in the early hours of Sunday (April 9). Half of a staircase was damaged by fire. One man was rescued by firefighters from the first floor. He was treated for smoke inhalation by London Ambulance Service crews. Another person left the house before firefighters arrived. The Brigade was called at 0412 and the fire was under control by 0439.
The second fire took place the following day (April 10) on the ground floor of a three-storey house of multiple occupation on Barrow Road in Streatham. Two men were led to safety by firefighters using fire escape hoods via an internal staircase. One woman and three children left the house before crews arrived. The Brigade was called at 1454 and the fire was under control by 1602.
Both fires involved an electric bike or scooter and come as the Brigade continues its #ChargeSafe campaign, which aims to highlight the fire risks associated with lithium batteries which are commonly used with e-bikes and scooters.
Deputy Commissioner Dom Ellis said: "Investigators believe a converted e-bike caught fire at the house in Dalston and we understand the bike's batteries were purchased online second-hand.
"The bike was on charge at the time and due to where it was being charged, blocked an escape route and a man had to be rescued by our firefighters via a short extension ladder.
“It is vital that you never block your escape route with anything, including e-bikes and e-scooters. And the only way to be sure of a legal, safe and reliable e-bike is to buy one in complete form, from a trusted and reputed retailer.
"Meanwhile, at the incident on Barrow Road, a smoking e-scooter was moved by an occupant from a room to a communal area of the house where the fire then spread.
"Moving the scooter significantly increased the risk to everyone inside the house and reaffirms our advice which is if you suspect there is a fire involving these types vehicles, leave it, shut the door, get out and call 999."
In 2023, on average, London Fire Brigade has been called to an e-bike or e-scooter fire once every two days – a 60 per cent increase in the rate of these fires compared to the same period as last year.
On New Year's Day, 21-year-old Sofia Duarte died after a converted e-bike’s battery burst into flames in the entrance to the flat Sofia lived on Old Kent Road in South Bermondsey.
According to data collected by the Brigade, most people injured in fires related to e-bikes and e-scooters are in their 20s, and often the fires are in homes where multiple adults are living together without children. The most risky time for e-bike and e-scooter fires to take place are when charging lithium batteries. This is the time that batteries are most likely to fail.
Conversion kits allow people to add an electric motor to their bikes but not all of them are sold with a battery. Cheaper batteries purchased from online sources which don’t necessarily adhere to UK safety regulations are more likely to fail and present an increased fire risk. DIY installations can also lead to damage of the kit, increasing the chances of battery failure and the likelihood of a fire.
Lithium batteries store a significant amount of energy in a very small space and are much more powerful compared to other types of batteries. If that energy is released in an uncontrolled way, then a fire or explosion may result. If there is overheating, crushing, penetrating or overcharging, then a fault can occur within damaged battery cells which may cause the battery to catch fire and/or explode.