Firefighters are issuing another urgent reminder to Londoners about charging and storing e-bikes and e-scooters safely after crews were called to two e-bike incidents in one day.
The first fire occurred on Millfields Road in Lower Clapton yesterday. Part of a three roomed ground floor flat in a house which has been converted into two flats was damaged by fire. One man left before the arrival of the Brigade and removed an e bike from the property. He was suffering from smoke inhalation and taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service. A second man was led to safety from the first floor flat by crews wearing breathing apparatus. The Brigade was called at 1038 and the incident was under control by 1129, crews from Stoke Newington, Bethnal Green and Leyton fire stations were at the scene.
The second fire took place in the afternoon in a residential block of flats on Princelet Street in Spitalfields. Part of the ground floor communal hallway was damaged by fire. Four people left before the arrival of the Brigade. Two people were led to safety by crews wearing breathing apparatus. The Brigade was called at 1639 and it was under control by 1657, crews from Whitechapel, Shoreditch and Shadwell fire stations were in attendance.
Both fires involved an electric bike 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 an e-bike which was stored by the front door caught fire at the flat in Lower Clapton. At the fire in Spitalfields, the blaze was in the communal hallway and two people had to be led to safety.
“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.”
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.