Clapham: Electric scooters and bikes cause spike in "ferocious" fires

Lambeth may not be a participant in the electric scooter scheme launched in six London boroughs last month, but the London Fire Brigade still have their work cut out for them in Clapham thanks to incidents caused by electric vehicles.

A recent spate of fires caused by e-vehicle batteries – including one at a flat in Clapham – has prompted the London Fire Brigade's Fire Investigation team to issue an urgent safety reminder to members of the public with e-scooters or electric bikes.

In May, it took fire crews from Clapham, Tooting and Battersea fire stations an hour to bring a blaze in a third-floor flat on Poynders Road in Clapham under control.

Fire investigators deduced the incident was caused by a fault in a battery unit for an electric bike on charge at the time and a London Fire Brigade spokesperson warned of the fire risk the batteries for these increasingly popular vehicles pose.

They said: "Batteries can present a fire risk if they're over-charged, short circuited, submerged in water or damaged, so it's really important to protect them against being damaged and charge them safely.

"Unplug devices once they have finished charging and make sure you use the right charger for your device."

Further incidents firefighters have since attended in Brixton, Southwark, Wood Green and Tottenham prompted the Brigade to yesterday warn Londoners of the spike in the "ferocious" fires started by electric bike and scooter batteries.

Station Officer Matt Cullen said: "We have seen that when these batteries and chargers fail, they do so with ferocity which can leave residents with few safe options for escape.

"These bikes and scooters are often stored and charged in escape routes in homes or communal areas so when a fire does occur, escape routes are blocked which immediately makes an already serious situation much more frightening for those involved.

"We have seen people forced into jumping from windows as they can't get out of their front doors as the bike or scooter which has caught fire is in front of it.

"Even when the bikes or scooters aren't in escape routes or communal areas, the fires are fierce enough that they pose an immediate danger to all occupants and we are seeing an increase in these types of fires."

Station Officer Cullen went on to explain that many of the fires being seen involve e-bike conversion kits. These convert a standard push bike or scooter into an electric one, and unlike a purpose built e-bike or e-scooter, provide only the motors and control gear, which means batteries must be sourced separately.

"At some of these incidents we have seen multiple batteries and chargers for a number of bikes in one property, which has resulted in the mixing of different chargers and batteries," he said.

"We know that lithium-ion batteries are susceptible to failure if incorrect chargers are used and this may be a contributing factor in some cases.

"We also know many of these incidents involve batteries which have been sourced on the internet, which may not meet the correct safety standards."

Advice from the London Fire Brigade

The Brigade's advice is to always use the correct charger for the product and to buy an official charger from a reputable seller.

Since batteries can get warm during use, let them cool down before attempting to re-charge as the heat could make them more susceptible to failure.

Batteries should always be charged on hard, flat surfaces where heat can dissipate.

Damaged batteries pose a higher risk. Try to ensure yours does not get knocked around while in use or while being carried as a spare, to minimise the chance of cell damage.

Always unplug your charger once it has finished charging and follow manufacturers' instructions when charging. The Brigade advise to never leave a battery charging unattended or while people are asleep.

Ensure smoke alarms are fitted in areas where e-bikes or e-scooters are being charged and that they are tested regularly.

Lastly, the Brigade advises anyone with an e-vehicle to keep a clear escape route, and to store the e-bike and e-scooter away from the main through route out of a home.

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