Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters tackled a fire at a storage unit and workshop on Union Street in Southwark.
The ground floor of the property was destroyed by fire. The first floor was damaged by heat and smoke. Three people, including one person who jumped from the first floor, left the property before firefighters arrived. One person was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.
The ground floor unit was in use for pedicab repair and storage.
The most likely cause for the fire is believed to be the catastrophic failure of multiple lithium batteries.
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.
These types of fires are ferocious, shooting out jets and can be extremely hard to extinguish. The public should never try and tackle a lithium battery fire and should get away from one as quickly and as safely as possible.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Personal light electric vehicles, such as pedicabs, along with e-bikes and e-scooters, can be a fun and sustainable way of getting around London.
“However, e-bikes and e-scooters in particular have become one of London’s fastest-growing fire risks which is why London Fire Brigade has been running its #ChargeSafe awareness campaign.
"From previous investigations, we know many of the fires we’ve attended have involved second-hand vehicles or the bike has been modified using parts bought online. It’s important to get a conversion carried out by a professional or a competent person.
"It’s also important to make sure the conversion kits, batteries and chargers you’re purchasing for the bike is from a reputable seller. At this time, there is not the same level of regulation of products for e-bikes and e-scooters sold via online marketplaces or auction sites when compared to high street shops, so we cannot be confident that products meet the correct safety standards. Products that fail to meet safety standards are at higher risk of malfunctioning.”
The Brigade’s Control Officers received 21 calls about the fire. The Brigade was called at 1655 and officers mobilised crews from Dowgate, Dockhead, Whitechapel and surrounding fire stations to the scene. The fire was brought under control by 1748.
E-bike or e-scooter top safety tips