E-bike battery explodes and starts house fire in Leytonstone

An e-bike battery exploded and started a house fire in east London after the family heard banging coming from a room on the ground floor.

London Fire Brigade said the fire was caused by a battery pack put on charge at the property on Grove Road, Leytonstone

A picture posted on Twitter showed a fire-damaged window with the caption: "Always make sure you unplug your charger once it’s finished charging & don’t leave it unattended or charging while people are asleep."

No one was injured but firefighters reminded people to always use the correct charger.

"We know that lithium-ion batteries are susceptible to failure if incorrect chargers are used, so it’s important to always use the correct charger for the product and buy an official one from a reputable seller," a brigade spokesman said."Batteries can also pose a risk if they have been damaged, so try to ensure they are not getting knocked around while in use or while being carried as spares as this can increase the chance of damage to cells."You should also not expose them to extremes of temperature."You should always make sure you unplug your charger once it’s finished charging."Always follow manufacturers’ instructions when charging and we would advise not to leave it unattended or while people are asleep."This is also a timely reminder to keep internal doors to rooms not in use closed to stop smoke spreading if a fire starts," the statement added.

Last month, Transport for London banned all e-scooters from London transport after incidents in 2021 saw some scooters explode and release toxic smoke.The review by TfL found that defective lithium batteries in some e-scooters caused fires without warning, with the fire brigade being called out more than 50 times last year.