London Fire Brigade issues warning after video surveillance captures e-bike fire | British News
London Fire Brigade has warned of the dangers of malfunctioning e-bikes after a man narrowly escaped injury after his vehicle exploded.
Footage of the dramatic explosion, the second of its kind in just a few weeks, illustrates the risks posed by lithium batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters.
In the clip, the bike can be seen bursting into flames and exploding outside a block of flats in Roehampton on the night of Saturday May 20.
CCTV footage from the entrance of Avi Gooransingh’s home in Tangley Grove shows the bike’s battery exploding after going thermally out of control, releasing a white and gray cloud of highly flammable and toxic vapor into the air that seconds later ignited into a fireball.
The 29-year-old Avi narrowly escaped the fire and ran back to his apartment, shocked but fortunately unharmed.
The fire brigade was on site quickly and safely extinguished the fire.
Though the brigade hasn’t yet been able to determine exactly why the bike exploded, Avi says he knew something was wrong from the smell.
Avi, who used his e-bike to commute to and from his job as a chef at a hospital, said: “When I got home it smelled so bad. I asked my sister if she used nail polish remover but she said no and said it was from my bike.
“I smelled the bike and immediately thought something was wrong, so I figured the safest thing would be to get the bike out of the apartment.”
“When the bike exploded, I panicked. I thought my family would die, especially if I hadn’t moved them. “My sister and I ran back to the apartment and called 999.”
The stunning video underscores why the London Fire Brigade ran their #ChargeSafe campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the fire risks associated with lithium batteries commonly used in e-bikes.
The brigade has been called out to 52 e-bike and 12 e-scooter fires so far in 2023, including one incident that unfortunately ended fatally on New Year’s Day.
Deputy Commissioner Dom Ellis said: “While we cannot be certain why this particular battery failed, we do know that the e-bike was purchased from Avi used and that an additional battery pack was fitted which was purchased from an online marketplace became.”
“Cheaper batteries bought from online sources, which don’t necessarily meet UK safety regulations, are more likely to fail and pose an increased risk of fire.” Our advice is also to buy from a reputable seller.
“As the video clearly shows, once the bike goes thermally out of control, a rapid and violent fire can ensue.”
“Fortunately, Avi and his family were unharmed. There is no doubt that this could have been much more serious, which is why we advise keeping these items in a safe place, such as a garage or shed, rather than indoors whenever possible.”
Avi says the experience put him off getting an e-bike or scooter.
He said: “I’m definitely devastated by what happened and I definitely won’t have one in my house anymore.”
“If you own an e-bike or scooter I would recommend charging and storing it outside, and if not then seriously consider buying one.”
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