Two dogs die in house fires sparked by an e-bike and e-scooter

Two dogs were killed and two homes were destroyed in separate fires involving an e-bike and an e-scooter just hours apart in London. The London Fire Brigade said the first blaze was sparked by an e-scooter which was charging on Barlow Road, West Hampstead, around 10.30 am Monday. The flames spread quickly, prompting a response of around 60 firefighters to put it out. No one was hurt, but a pet dog was discovered dead inside the home.

Around 2.30 am yesterday, a battery pack on a converted e-bike burst into flames inside a home in Feltham. Two of the four people inside the home were taken to hospital, with firefighters managing to rescue two dogs trapped indoors. A third dog died in the fire, prompting the fire brigade to issue a warning. LFB deputy assistant commissioner for prevention and protection Richard Field said: ‘It cannot be underestimated the level of destruction each of these fires have caused, with both homes completely damaged by fire and smoke.

‘It’s extremely fortunate that no people have been seriously hurt but a dog was sadly found dead at the scene of each fire. Both of these fires were caused by catastrophic battery failures. ‘When these batteries fail, they can cause ferocious fires, and the consequences can be devastating.’. Mr Field added that many of the fires the brigade has attended involved vehicles which were modified with parts bought online – like scooters and bikes.

‘We understand that people are trying to save money, but if you spot a deal that looks too good to be true, it probably is,’ he stressed. LFB recorded 142 e-bike fires and 29 e-scooter fires last year. Since the start of 2023, three people have died and more than 100 have been injured in fires caused by e-bike battery failures in London. One father said he lost his entire home in just 10 minutes after his son’s converted e-bike battery exploded.

Don Hettiarachchi, 49, had returned from a night shift as a bus driver when he heard the smoke alarm blare on September 20 last year. Both stories of his terraced house in New Malden, a suburb of south-west London, were engulfed by flames and clogged with smoke. ‘It took only 10 minutes to take my whole house, that lithium battery,’ Don said. Nearly one in 10 Britons own an e-bike after becoming the go-to for delivery drivers zipping through the rain and environmentally conscious commuters over the coronavirus pandemic.

This number is expected to rise as one in five Londoners said they’re keen to buy an e-bike on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, according to a survey by the charity Electrical Safety First and the London Fire Brigade. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Cars could be banned from using one of the UK’s most dangerous roads.