The mother of a 21-year-old woman who died at the start of 2023 has made a heartfelt plea to Londoners to take care with e-bikes and e-scooters, particularly to never block fire escape routes.
Maria Frasquilho Macarro’s warning comes following the tragic death of her only daughter, Sofia Duarte, who sadly died on New Year’s Day in a flat fire on Old Kent Road, in South Bermondsey. Fire investigators believe the cause of the fire is due to a converted e-bike’s battery bursting into flames in the entrance to the flat Sofia lived in.
Her plea comes as the Brigade launches its #ChargeSafe campaign, to help people safely use e-bikes and e-scooters and inform people about the dangers of charging, storing and modifying the vehicles and their batteries. This follows an increasing rise in the number of extremely serious fires involving lithium batteries which are commonly used with these modes of transport.
So far this year, on average, London Fire Brigade has been called to an e-bike or e-scooter fire once every two days – a 60 per cent increase in the rate of these fires compared to the same period as last year. In 2022, we attended 87 e-bike and 29 e-scooter fires, a total of 116 fires.
Maria, who is originally from Portugal and brought her daughter Sofia up in west London, says that her world fell apart when she found out her daughter had died. Maria said: “Sofia loved life, she loved to party and she enjoyed her job working behind the bar at a nightclub. Now all I have left is my daughter’s ashes.
“I really want to make sure her death is not in vain and if I can raise awareness about the dangers of e-bikes and lithium batteries then there will be a positive in this. If we can save someone else’s life, I will take great comfort in that because at the moment I am hurting - I don’t want others to suffer as much as I have done.
“Sofia meant the world to me and my family. I don’t know how to live without her. It feels like a nightmare and I can’t wake up.”
The fire broke out in the afternoon of Monday 1 January in the flat hallway, blocking the residents’ fire escape route. Fire investigators found a bicycle had been converted into an e-bike and the bike’s lithium battery pack had failed catastrophically, causing the fire.
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. While there was no evidence of poor installation in this case, DIY installations can also lead to damage of the kit, increasing the chances of battery failure and the likelihood of a fire.
London Fire Brigade’s Deputy Commissioner, Dom Ellis, said: “Sofia’s death is a tragedy, and our condolences are with her family and friends. We are working hard to prevent these types of incidents in the future.
“E-bikes and e-scooters are becoming more common in London and the risk of significant fires is rising too. We want people to travel safely and be aware of the risks that the batteries present as part of our #ChargeSafe campaign. Protect yourself and your loved ones by following our #ChargeSafe tips and by using our Home Fire Safety Checker.
“Never block your escape route with anything, including e-bikes and e-scooters. The only way to be sure of a legal, safe and reliable e-bike is to buy one in complete form, from a trusted and reputed retailer.
“The number of incidents our fire crews are attending shows that buying a product from a reputable seller will help protect you, your family and property from bursting into flames - not forgetting the peace of mind it can give.”
Ordinarily the Brigade is unable to talk about cases while Coroner’s court processes are ongoing. However, due the severity of this incident, special permission was granted to raise awareness of the fire risks and to prevent future deaths.
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.
Find out more about the #ChargeSafe campaign at https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/safety/lithium-batteries/