E-Scooter fires are on the rise - warns Oxfordshire's fire service

It's believed this house fire was caused by a lithium battery being used to charge an e-scooter.

Oxfordshire's Fire Service is warning about the safety of e-bikes and e-scooters after a spate of recent fires.

They've released photos of a fire in Standlake, near Witney, which was caused by a malfunctioning e-bike.

Luckily, smoke alarms alerted the owners in time and the fire was caught early.

This malfunctioning e-bike caught fire in Standlake Credit: Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service

It comes after recent fire, further south in Gosport, which tore through seven terraced houses.

Fiona Taylor, who lived close-by, said at the time: "It was just an inferno and it happened so quickly and it just spread. It was horrific to watch because you knew your neighbours were watching their houses go up one-by-one."

Owners of e-bikes and e-scooters are being reminded to only use chargers from reputable sellers.

This fire in Gosport tore through seven terraced houses Credit: Shyme Lee

Many of these types of fires are caused by using an incorrect charger sold by online marketplaces.

Giuseppe Capanna, a product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, said: "The biggest issue we're seeing is sub-standard products that are being put on the market and they're being sold on online marketplaces by third party seller.

"These products have been declared as being tested and we're finding that they're not.

"So what we need is the government to introduce mandatory third party testing which forces the manufacturers to get their products tested before they put them on the market and before we bring these unsafe products into our homes."

Tips on how to safely charge your e-bike or e-scooter:

  • Don’t charge e-bikes and e-scooters in bedrooms or where escape routes can be blocked – for example, hallways.

  • Don’t leave your battery charging unattended, when you are out or while you are asleep.

  • Don’t cover chargers or battery packs when charging

  • Don’t overload sockets or use inappropriate extension leads

  • Don’t charge or store batteries in direct sunlight or in hot locations (above 45⁰C)

  • Don’t charge batteries close to combustible materials or hazardous substances.

  • Always unplug your charger when you have finished charging

This fire in a recycling centre in Reading was started by a battery Credit: Smallmead Warehouse

It’s important to dispose of lithium batteries correctly. They shouldn’t be put out with your regular rubbish or recycling. If they're crushed or pierced they can explode.

You can find out how to correctly dispose of them through your local authority.