East London e-bike fires prompt London Fire Brigade advice

Two properties in east London were partly damaged by fires involving an electric bike, London Fire Brigade has said.

Firefighters were called at 10.38am to Millfields Road in Lower Clapton yesterday (June 12) to reports of a fire in a ground floor flat.

One man was said to have left before the brigade arrived and removed an e-bike from the property.

He was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service as he suffered from smoke inhalation.

A second man was taken to safety by fire crews wearing a breathing apparatus.

The incident was brought under control by 11.29am, and a part of the three roomed flat in a house was reportedly destroyed.

A second incident took place on the same day in a block of flats in Princelet Street, Spitalfields.

The brigade was informed at 4.39pm about the fire and four people had left before it arrived.

Read More: Shoreditch flat fire sees woman treated for smoke inhalation

Two people were rescued by fire crews wearing breathing apparatus. It took about 20 minutes to control the fire, and the incident was over by 4.57pm.

Part of the ground floor communal hallway was impacted.

Both the incidents, the LFB said, involved electric bikes.

Deputy commissioner Dom Ellis said investigators believe an e-bike which was stored by the front door caught fire in Lower Clapton.

He added the number of e-bike and scooter fires that the brigade is attending in London is “incredibly concerning”.

One fire “every couple of days” in 2023 so far, he claimed, involved these vehicles.

He said: “As such, we have identified that fires involving lithium batteries are the fastest growing fire risk in the capital.”

Charging lithium batteries, the brigade revealed, was the riskiest time for e-bike and e-scooter fires to take place as the batteries can often fail.

Conversion kits that allow people to add an electric motor to their bikes are often sold without the batteries, it said, and cheaper batteries bought online do not always adhere to UK safety regulations.

These then reportedly pose a greater risk of fire and are more likely to fail.

Lithium batteries, the brigade explained, could result in an explosion if the significant amount of energy contained in them is released in an uncontrolled way.

It added: “If there is overheating, crushing, penetrating or overcharging, then a fault can occur within damaged battery cells which may cause the battery to catch fire and/or explode.”

It advised all e-bike users to never block escape routes with anything, including their bikes and scooters.

“Our advice is to store these items in a safe location if possible, such as a garage or a shed”, the brigade said.

Converting pedal bikes into e-bikes using DIY kits bought online was specifically described as “dangerous” by the brigade, which said they pose a “higher risk of fire”.  

Other safety tips included ensuring that battery and charger meets UK safety standards, buying a correct charger from a reputable vendor, letting the battery cool before charging, unplugging the charger once the bike is charged and fitting smoke alarms in areas where these bikes are being charged.