A woman has been seriously injured after jumping from a third-floor flat to escape a fire believed to have been caused by a charging e-bike battery
A woman has been seriously injured after jumping from a third-floor flat to escape a fire believed to have been caused by a charging e-bike battery. Firefighters were called to Reculver Road in Lewisham at 11:14am, where part of the hallway of the flat was damaged by fire. The blaze was brought under control by 11:45am.
The woman leapt from the balcony as smoke spread through the property. Firefighters assisted her before she was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service with injuries sustained in the fall. A man was also led to safety from the flat and treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
The fire is believed to have been caused by the catastrophic failure of an e-bike battery that had been charging in the hallway for around 12 hours.
London Fire Brigade Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Prevention & Protection, Richard Field, said the incident showed the importance of keeping escape routes clear.
“This incident highlights why you should always ensure your escape route is clear and why we recommend to never charge your e-bike or e-scooter on your means of escape, such as a hallway or by your front door,” he said.
“Although working smoke alarms helped alert the occupants quickly to this fire, a woman found herself trapped inside a bedroom with smoke travelling in. She decided to go out onto the balcony and jump to the ground, three storeys high. She has unfortunately sustained a quite serious injury due to the fall and we wish her well in her recovery.”
He added that firefighters in London are now attending fires involving e-bikes or e-scooters on average every other day, with a record 206 incidents last year.
The brigade is urging people to follow its #ChargeSafe advice, including using batteries from reputable sellers, avoiding mismatched chargers, and not overcharging devices.
People are also warned never to charge e-bikes or e-scooters unattended or while sleeping, and to ensure any conversions from pushbikes are carried out by a competent professional.
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