Flat is destroyed by fire after e-bike battery overheated while charging

31 July 2023 , 21:45

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Photographs show the devastation after a fire at a flat in Newcastle (Image: North News & Pictures Ltd nort)

A flat has been destroyed by a fire caused by an e-bike battery which overheated when it was on charge.

Shocking images from the blaze show the wall of the property absolutely decimated and burnt with the plugs and carpet left singed in its aftermath. It happened earlier this month at an address in Elswick, Newcastle. Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service says the blaze should serve as a harrowing warning to e-bike and scooter owners. The lithium battery from one of the vehicles overheated in a bedroom and sparked an ignition.

It mirrors the tragic case, earlier this month, of a fire which killed a woman and two young children at a flat in King's Hedges, Cambridge. Gemma Germeney, 31, lost her life alongside son Oliver Peden, four, and Lilly Peden, eight, in the blaze, likely to also have been caused by an e-bike charging.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service issued a harrowing warning to e-bike and scooter owners after the callout (North News & Pictures Ltd nort)

Fortunately, the occupant of the property in Newcastle was not in at the time and the fire did not spread past the flat, so no one was hurt in that instance. Nevertheless, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, alone, has seen a rise in these types of callouts of late.

"This incident shows how dangerous they can be. Thankfully the occupant was not home and there could have been a different outcome if they had been present," Graeme MacDonald, station manager of Newcastle Central Community Fire Station, said today.

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"Always ensure that you have working smoke alarms, and never leave batteries to charge while you are asleep or away from your home. We would recommend that you are observant with the batteries and consider this checklist.

"Always look out for the battery getting overly hot, any leakage and unusual behaviour, the battery not holding a charge, and appearing to be warped."

Some 167 fire were reported to local fire departments in the UK in 2022 where the primary cause was a lithium-ion battery for an electric bike or scooter, insurer Zurich said last month. However, it is estimated that there are more than one million e-scooters (despite being still illegal in public outside of locally sanctioned pilot schemes) and more than half a million electric bikes in the UK. So, while these fires are very rare, they can be extremely devastating - and at times, fatal.

Authorities say batteries with faulty parts or damaged mechanical parts are particularly vulnerable to combusting when on charge. To minimise the risk, it is advised to avoid leaving the batteries charging unattended and avoid using unbranded batteries as they tend to be of a poorer quality than branded ones.

Alethea Farline