Ten people, including a baby, escaped a house fire on Northbrook Road in Ilford yesterday (26 July) that is believed to have been caused by the failure of an e-bike battery.
Part of the ground floor, an internal staircase and most of the first floor of the mid-terraced house was damaged by fire.
Ten people in total left the house before firefighters arrived including: two adults who escaped via a first floor rear window, two children and three adults who escaped from a first floor window via scaffolding, a woman who jumped from a first floor window, a baby who was caught by a member of the public, and a man who evacuated via the front door. Three adults and one child were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews, with a further four adults and two children assessed at the scene.
Control Officers received 12 calls about the fire. The Brigade was called at 1013 and the fire was brought under control by 1150. Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters attended the scene.
The fire is being treated as accidental and is believed to have been caused by the failure of a battery attached to an e-bike that was stored in the hallway by the front door.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Field said: “This would have been a terrifying incident for all involved and it is incredibly fortunate that no lives have been lost.
"Some of the occupants were sleeping but were alerted by a smoke detector that started sounding. However the spread of the fire was rapid and nine people quickly found themselves trapped upstairs. Fortunately, their escape was largely aided by a builder who was driving by and quickly stopped and put up a piece of scaffolding as an improvised ladder, allowing some of the occupants to come safely down.
“One woman who jumped from a first-floor window was taken to hospital as a result of an injury sustained whilst landing. A baby who was dropped from the first floor was safely caught by a member of the public before being taken to hospital as a precaution for smoke inhalation alongside two others. One man, who tried to extinguish the fire, fled via the front door."
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Field continued: “This fire is yet another example in London of the dangers e-bikes and e-scooters can pose if the battery fails catastrophically and catches fire. In this case, the e-bike was not on charge but it was stored by the front door, which impeded the occupants’ escape. Our advice is to store and charge these items in a location away from where people live, such as in a shed or a garage, and if they have to be stored inside, make sure there is smoke detection fitted, it’s kept it in a room where you can shut a door and contain a fire and your means of escape is not obstructed.
“The man who attempted to tackle the fire was also lucky not to be seriously hurt. Fires involving lithium batteries, which power these vehicles, can be ferocious, producing jets of flame. The blaze is also hot enough to melt through metal. This type of fire produces a highly flammable, explosive and toxic vapour cloud which should never be inhaled. The fire can also be extremely challenging to put out. Our advice is to get away to safety and call 999.”
In 2023, e-bikes and e-scooters became London’s fastest-growing fire risk, with around 170 fires. Sadly, three people died and around 60 people were hurt. In 2024, there have been around 90 fires.
The fires often occur when the lithium batteries that power these vehicles fail and explode. Batteries can fail for a number of reasons; such as if they have been built poorly, are fake or counterfeit, are damaged, overcharged or the incorrect charger is used.
London Fire Brigade has been running its #ChargeSafe campaign to raise awareness of the fire risks associated with these types vehicles and seek changes to regulation to prevent poor quality batteries, chargers and conversion kits being sold via online marketplaces.
Earlier this month, a major step towards improving the regulation of online marketplaces was taken following the inclusion of the Product Safety & Metrology Bill in the King’s Speech. If the Bill is passed by Government, it will provide more regulatory protection for consumers, including for those buying e-bike and e-scooter products.
London Fire Brigade Deputy Commissioner Charlie Pugsley said: “This is a really welcome step in the drive to reduce the worrying risk of e-bike and e-scooter fires, ultimately by decreasing the chance of customers being exposed to buying unsafe products, such as lithium batteries, chargers and conversion kits which are dangerous and do not meet UK safety standards.
“In London, we have seen a significant number of fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters, which have devastated lives and livelihoods, and last year three people sadly died in the capital as a result of these fires. As part of our #ChargeSafe campaign, we have been warning about the lack of regulation for e-bikes and e-scooters, and particularly e-bike conversion kits, chargers and batteries, which are sold via online marketplaces and the need for legislation to ensure these products are more strictly regulated.
"We hope this Bill will set a pathway for the necessary action to be taken to protect people from these types of fires, whilst allowing consumers to purchase with confidence and use these products safely."