Firefighters are issuing another warning about safely using e-bikes after a fire on Dalston Lane in Dalston.
Part of a two-roomed flat on the second floor of a converted church was damaged by fire. One man inside the building was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews suffering from smoke inhalation. A number of other people left the building before firefighters arrived.
The fire is believed to have been caused by the failure of a lithium battery for an e-bike.
Fire investigators visited the incident scene and learned that the bike had been taken off charge around 20 minutes before the fire occurred. The bike had been purchased by its owner around one month earlier from an online marketplace, where often e-bikes can be purchased that do not meet the correct safety standards.
Deputy Commissioner Dom Ellis said: "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. Our advice is always to buy from a reputable seller."
So far in 2023, firefighters have attended 55 e-bike and 14 e-scooter fires in London.
Footage released by the Brigade recently at two of those incidents in London shows just how dangerous it can be when a lithium battery catches fire and explodes. The fires can be rapid and ferocious.
The Brigade has been running its #ChargeSafe campaign, which aims to highlight the fire risks associated with lithium batteries commonly used with these types of vehicles.
The Brigade was called at 2331 and the fire was under control by 0015. Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters from Homerton, Stoke Newington, Islington, Shoreditch and Bethnal Green fire stations attended the scene.