A recent fire in one of our buildings in Bow has once again brought into focus the dangers of e-bikes and e-scooters, particularly when charging the vehicles.
The fire brigade attended the fire, which broke out on the fourth floor of a seven-storey block, in the early hours of the morning in late September.
An e-bike had been left charging overnight in the communal hallway when the battery catastrophically failed. The resulting fire blocked escape routes from the building as the e-bike had been left charging in the communal area.
A number of people had to be rescued from their homes by fire crews and emergency services assessed several people for smoke inhalation with two people taken to hospital for precautionary checks. Thankfully, in this instance no one was killed but it’s important we remind everyone of the danger posed by e-bike and e-scooters.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) reports that on average there’s a fire from a lithium-ion battery in an e-bike or e-scooter every two days in London. Many of these fires happen in homes while batteries are charging.
The LFB are running a Charge Safe campaign to alert us all to the dangers and highlight what you need to know if you own an e-bike or e-scooter or live with someone who does. There’s also advice on their website to help reduce the risk.
The opening scenes of this LFB video is a shocking insight into just how quickly a faulty lithium-ion battery can ignite and how intense the resulting fire can be. A warning that residents may find this content distressing.
What you can do to keep you and your family safe
If you own an e-bike or e-scooter or if you live with someone who does, make sure you are aware of the potential dangers.
Most of the dangers lie in charging the vehicles – never charge them while you are sleeping or leave them charging unattended.
Under no circumstances store or charge an electric bike or electric scooter in a fire escape route. Fire escapes must always remain free of obstructions, and the presence of electric bikes and electric scooters causes added danger. In the event of battery failure, these lithium-ion batteries can explode, like in the video above, and release significant amounts of toxic fumes. If you notice an e-bike or e-scooter being stored or charged in a communal area, please report it to your local officer.
Always use the charger supplied with the battery or one recommended by the manufacturer. Using the wrong charger can overload the battery and increase the risk of overheating and fire.
Read more e-bike and e-scooter charging tips on the LFB website.
There are also safety issues around kits you can buy online that can convert a standard bike to an e-bike.
While these kits can be convenient, they can also increase the risk of battery fires if they are poorly installed or use incompatible components.
If you plan to convert your bicycle to an e-bike, get a professional to carry out the conversion. Learn more about the risks of conversion kits on the LFB website.
