This recent fire in Shepherds Bush was started by an e-bike’s lithium-ion battery. The fire resulted in one casualty being taken to hospital and up to sixty firefighters attended the blaze. The fire occurred on the 12th floor of a high rise block of flats.
LFB have issued a serious warning over these e-bikes and their batteries as they have now been the cause of many fires and a pattern is starting to develop.
When the chargers on these batteries fail, they do so with such ferocity causing the fire to develop rapidly. E-bikes and e-scooters are often stored in communal areas and corridors of blocks of flats and thus are not only a serious fire risk but can also block people’s only means of escape route.
Fires involving lithium-ion batteries, can eject their contents over a large area if they fail which can lead to various seats of fire, causing massive problems for occupants of the building and the fire brigade.
LFB have advised that these e-bikes and scooters should be stored and charged in a safe location where possible (for example, a shed or garage).
If they must be stored inside, you must make sure you have adequate smoke detection systems and also ensure than your means of escape routes are not obstructed. Where this is not always possible and e-bikes are being charged indoors, it’s always best to adopt safe charging and to ensure that everyone has a safe escape plan in place.
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