People escaping a London house fire believed to have been caused by the failure of an e-bike battery were aided by a builder who stopped and put up a piece of scaffolding as a makeshift ladder.
Two children and three adults escaped from a first floor window via the scaffolding, and a baby was caught by a member of the public. Two adults escaped via a first floor rear window, a woman jumped from a first floor window, and a man evacuated via the front door.
The fire, on Northbrook Road in Ilford on 26 July, is being treated as accidental. Three adults and one child were taken to hospital and four adults and two children were assessed at the scene.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) 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.”
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Field said the Ilford fire was, “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 LFB also welcomed the inclusion of the Product Safety & Metrology Bill announced in the King’s Speech, which seeks to address the potential fire risks associated with e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries.
Emphasising a particular area of concern, it described the Bill as, "a major step towards improving the regulation of online marketplaces."
Deputy commissioner Charlie Pugsley said it would decrease 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.”
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A fire at a London cycle repair shop earlier this month was also believed to have been caused by the failure of a lithium battery pack for an e-bike, which then spread to involve other e-bike battery packs in the shop.
The LFB says e-bikes and e-scooters became London’s fastest-growing fire risk in 2023, with around 170 fires. Sadly, three people died and around 60 people were hurt. There have been around 90 fires so far in 2024.
Many fires have involved second-hand vehicles, or a bike modified using parts bought online. Many retailers are now refusing to work on unbranded or unknown battery packs.
Pugsley added: “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."
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