LFB issues urgent safety warning in wake of e-bike fires

All three fires are believed to have been caused by the catastrophic failures of lithium batteries for e-bikes. The incidents are yet another example of why the London Fire Brigade has been running its #ChargeSafe campaign, with e-bikes and e-scooters becoming one of the capital’s fastest-growing fire risks.

The first fire happened at a semi-detached house in Mitcham, prompting 26 calls to the Brigade’s 999 Control Room officers. Sadly, the whole house was destroyed in the blaze, as well as a car parked outside in front of the property. Fortunately, two women and four men escaped without injury, but were left with just the belongings they had on them at the time.

A fire in Bethnal Green started on the third floor of a block of flats and quickly spread to flats on the fourth and fifth floors. Fire investigators believe the fire was caused by an e-bike. They found two different-sized batteries with one charger and an e-bike in the third floor flat where the fire started. Four people and a dog were rescued from the building by firefighters: one was rescued via a ladder, another was carried down by firefighters and two were rescued using fire escape hoods. One woman was taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service due to smoke inhalation. The flat was left uninhabitable.

Subsequent to that episode, an e-bike fire in Walthamstow gutted a ground floor flat. The owner had bought the converted e-bike from an online marketplace. It was on charge in the living room when the occupants heard a popping noise before toxic fumes were released and the bike burst into flames.

Catastrophic failures

Richard Field, Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Prevention and Protection at the London Fire Brigade, said: “The level of destruction each of these fires has caused cannot be underestimated. Three homes have been completely damaged by fire and smoke. It’s extremely fortunate that no-one has been seriously hurt.”  

Field continued: “In all three cases, these fires were caused by catastrophic lithium-ion battery failures. When these batteries fail, they can cause ferocious fires and the consequences can be devastating. We urge people who own these devices to follow the safety advice that will help to protect those around them and their properties.”

In addition, Field stated: “We want to urgently remind e-bike owners that using mismatched batteries and chargers, notably so incompatible or counterfeit ones, can cause serious fires such as the one in Bethnal Green. If the wrong charger is used, this can lead to the battery overheating, failing and starting a fire in seconds.”  

Further, Field observed: “We recommend that devices are never left charging unattended. At the Walthamstow fire, the owner was on hand to react when the charging battery burst into flames. If the fire had happened when the occupants were asleep, it could have been a very different story.”

Number of fires

As previously reported by Fire Safety Matters, the number of e-bike and e-scooter fires in a single year in London could be the highest yet. This year has seen an average of around 18 e-bike or e-scooter fires per month. If that trend continues for the remainder of the year, London will surpass 200 incidents in a single 12-month period for the first time.

Four people have died in fires caused by e-bike battery failures in London since 2023, while more than 100 people have been hurt.