An e-bike fire at a house on Hampton Road in Ilford has prompted firefighters to issue another warning on charging and storing e-bikes safely.
The first floor of a mid-terraced house was destroyed, and half of the roof of the building was also damaged by the blaze. Two men were treated on scene by London Ambulance Service crews after suffering from smoke inhalation and a third man was taken to hospital.
The fire is believed to have been accidental and caused by the battery pack for a converted e-bike that was on charge.
The warning comes 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: "It is vital that you never block your escape route with anything, including e-bikes and e-scooters. If there is a fire in your property, get out, stay out and call 999 immediately. Do not tackle fires yourself, leave it to the professionals.
“The number of e-bike and scooter fires that we are attending in London is incredibly concerning. So far in 2023, we have been called out to roughly one fire involving these types of vehicles every couple of days. As such, we have identified that fires involving lithium batteries are the fastest growing fire risk in the capital, which is why we launched our #ChargeSafe campaign.”
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.
The Brigade was called at 0240 and the fire was under control by 0456. Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters from Ilford, Barking, Dagenham, Leytonstone, Plaistow and Romford fire stations attended the scene.