A “devastating” e-bike battery explosion destroyed a family’s home days before Christmas.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) warned e-bikes can be “incredibly dangerous” after the blaze in the south-east of the capital on December 14.
Footage from a doorbell camera at a home opposite the end-of-terrace house on Renshaw Close, Catford, showed how quickly it became engulfed in fire, with several bangs and explosions.
Watch the moment a second-hand e-bike battery explodes in #Catford, turning part of a house into a fireball.
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) December 20, 2024
The incident once again highlights the dangers that can occur if e-bikes and e-scooters are not bought, charged or stored safely.
Read more: https://t.co/hDcHBZaOJ7 pic.twitter.com/kOCZYYxaMs
While one occupant was able to escape through the front door, two others in a converted loft were forced to climb through a skylight on to the roof.
One male fell from the roof and suffered serious injuries, while a woman slipped but was caught by a firefighter, and later treated for smoke inhalation.
The fire damaged most of the first floor of the house and destroyed the loft.
LFB said the e-bike had been converted from a conventional pedal cycle by having a battery pack fitted to it, and was being charged at the time of the fire.
It had been bought from an online marketplace.
LFB Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Field described the fire as “devastating” and said it was “fortunate that no lives have been lost”.
He went on: “We’ve seen around 160 e-bike and e-scooter fires in London this year and this incident highlights the dangers e-bikes and e-scooters can pose.
E-bikes are one of London’s fastest-growing fire risks
“E-bikes are one of London’s fastest-growing fire risks, with a fire on average once every other day.
“If you’re planning on buying an e-bike or e-scooter for yourself or a loved one for Christmas and you see an offer online that seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
Lesley Rudd, chief executive of charity Electrical Safety First, said: “Batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters can cause devastating fires if they are modified, damaged, charged incorrectly or manufactured to a poor standard.
“The risk associated with these devices means it has never been more important to stick to a reputable high street retailer to ensure the device you are bringing into your home is safe.”
In June, a coroner called for Government action after the death of a man whose home in Bristol caught fire when an e-bike battery pack he was charging overheated and ignited.
Maria Voisin, senior coroner for Avon, was presiding over an inquest into the death of Abdul Oryakhel, who fell from the window of his 16th floor flat while trying to escape the blaze.
Also in June, grieving father Scott Peden, 30, from Cambridge, called for urgent e-bike safety measures one year after his partner and two children died in a fire.
Mr Peden’s partner Gemma, 31, and their children Lilly, eight, and Oliver, four, died during a fire caused by an e-bike battery bought online.
In October, the Department for Business and Trade launched a campaign calling on people to buy only safe electrical products from reputable sellers.
