Mother and son in hospital after jumping from window to escape e-bike fire

Londoners have been urged to take extra care when buying e-scooters and e-bikes amid a surge in fires across the capital, ITV London's Daniel Henry reports

A mother and son are in hospital after leaping from windows to escape an e-bike battery fire in east London.

Most of the three-storey home in Hackney was destroyed by the blaze, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.

The mother was seriously injured after jumping from the second floor and her adult son, who leapt from the first floor, suffered an unspecified injury.

They were forced to escape out of windows because the e-bike that had caught fire was at the bottom of a staircase leading to the ground floor, blocking their exit route.

Eyewitness Margaret Nelson told ITV London how she rushed out of her home to help after hearing banging and shouting on King Edward's Road.

"We were all shouting at her to jump, the son was trying to get into the door, but there's no way he could have gone in there because the fire was so bad."

Eyewitness Margaret Nelson tells ITV London how neighbours were screaming "jump, jump", before the woman inside leapt out of the window onto the hard concrete below

Eventually the woman jumped out of the window onto the concrete floor below and badly hurting herself – before neighbours had the chance to bring a mattress.

Ms Nelson says she helped lift the woman up to get her away from the gate as the fire raging inside got progressively worse.

"It was intense, a lot of people on the road were helping," she added. "I couldn't sleep that night. I got in, tried to sleep... I closed my eyes, all I could hear was 'jump, jump' and I could see the fire. So I got up and watched TV until six o'clock in the morning.

"All I was thinking of was her and if she was okay, and the son, what are they going to do? Just before Christmas... It looks like they've lost everything."

Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters responded to the blaze on King Edward’s Road, Hackney shortly after 3am on Thursday. It took nearly two hours to bring the fire under control.

Footage shows the fire raging at King Edward's Road as neighbours rush over to help

Eventually the woman jumped out of the window onto the concrete floor below and badly hurting herself – before neighbours had the chance to bring a mattress.

Ms Nelson says she helped lift the woman up to get her away from the gate as the fire raging inside got progressively worse.

"It was intense, a lot of people on the road were helping," she added. "I couldn't sleep that night. I got in, tried to sleep... I closed my eyes, all I could hear was 'jump, jump' and I could see the fire. So I got up and watched TV until six o'clock in the morning.

"All I was thinking of was her and if she was okay, and the son, what are they going to do? Just before Christmas... It looks like they've lost everything."

Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters responded to the blaze on King Edward’s Road, Hackney shortly after 3am on Thursday. It took nearly two hours to bring the fire under control.

LFB assistant commissioner for fire safety Charlie Pugsley said: “This was a devastating fire that has destroyed a home and is a prime example of why the brigade has been running its #ChargeSafe awareness campaign.

“A mother and son who were inside the home when the fire occurred had no choice but to leap from windows because their escape route was blocked.

“If you own an e-bike or e-scooter, do not store or charge it on an escape route such as a hallway. If you can’t keep it outside, put it in a room where you can shut a door and contain a fire.”

Lithium battery fires can spread rapidly and produce a toxic vapour.

Thursday's blaze comes just days after a charging e-bike battery pack caught fire in the living room of a flat in Harringay, north London, which caused a teenager to suffer burns.

In London so far this year there have been 150 e-bike fires and 28 e-scooter fires, LFB said.

The combined total is 53% above the figure for the whole of last year and makes them “the capital’s fastest-growing fire trend”, according to the brigade.

Three people have died and around 60 people have been hurt in the fires this year. LFB believes there is a lack of safety standards for e-bikes and e-scooters.

Assistant commissioner Pugsley said: “From our investigations, we know many of the fires we’ve attended have involved second-hand vehicles, the use of incorrect chargers, or the bike has been modified using parts bought online.

“If you’re thinking about buying one of these vehicles as a gift for a loved one for Christmas, please make sure you’re buying it, or parts for them – like batteries, conversion kits or chargers – from a reputable seller.

“If you receive one for Christmas, or you already own an e-bike or e-scooter, make sure you’re using the correct charger, you’re not overcharging, and that you don’t tamper with or modify the battery pack.

“Keep it well away from an escape route and store or charge the vehicle outside if possible.”

A recent survey for Electrical Safety First indicated that 52% of people planned to do the majority of their Christmas shopping for electronics via online marketplaces in an effort to cut costs.

The charity warned this could leave people at risk as “ruthless sellers” look to “cash in on Christmas at the expense of shoppers’ safety”.

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