London Fire Brigade issues warning after e-bike explosion caught on camera

London Fire Brigade have warned of the dangers posed by faulty e-bikes after a man narrowly avoided injury after his vehicle exploded.

Footage from the dramatic explosion, the second such incident in as many weeks, highlights the risks posed by lithium batteries on e-bikes and e-scooters.

In the clip, the bike can be seen bursting into flames and exploding at a block of flats in Roehampton on the night of Saturday, 20 May.

CCTV footage from the entrance to Avi Gooransingh’s home in Tangley Grove shows the bike’s battery erupt after it goes into thermal runaway, producing a white and grey coloured highly flammable and toxic vapour cloud into the air which ignites into a fireball a few seconds later.

CCTV footage captures the moment an e-bike burst into flames and exploded (Picture:London Fire Brigade)

Avi, 29, narrowly avoids the fire and is able to run back into his flat, shocked but thankfully unhurt.

Firefighters were quickly on the scene and safely put out the fire.

Although the Brigade has not yet been able to determine exactly why the bike exploded, Avi says he knew something was not quite right because of the smell.

Avi, who used his e-bike to commute to and from his work as a chef at a hospital, said: ‘I arrived home and there was such a potent smell. I asked my sister if she was using nail polish remover but she replied no and said it was coming from my bike.

‘I smelt the bike and I immediately thought something might be wrong so I thought the safest thing to do would be to get the bike out of the flat.

‘When the bike exploded, I panicked. I thought my family was going to die, especially if I hadn’t moved it. My sister and I ran back into the flat and called 999.’

The startling video reinforces why London Fire Brigade has been running its #ChargeSafe campaign, which aims to highlight the fire risks associated with lithium batteries commonly used with e-bikes.

Avi Gooransingh’s e-bike started emitted a pungent smell shortly before it exploded (Picture:London Fire Brigade)

The Brigade has been called to 52 e-bike and 12 e-scooter fires so far in 2023, including one incident that sadly proved to be fatal on New Years Day.

Deputy Commissioner Dom Ellis said: ‘Although we can’t be sure why this particular battery failed, we do know that Avi’s e-bike was purchased second-hand and that an additional battery pack, bought from an online marketplace, had been fitted.

‘Cheaper batteries purchased from online sources which don’t necessarily adhere to UK safety regulations are more likely to fail and present an increased fire risk. Our advice is also to buy from a reputable seller.

‘As the video clearly shows, once the bike goes into thermal runaway, it can lead to a rapid and ferocious fire.

Avi narrowly escaped the blast (Picture: London Fire Brigade)

The London Fire Brigade has warned people to be wary of cheap, second-hand e-bikes (Picture:London Fire Brigade)

‘Thankfully Avi and his family were unharmed. There’s no doubt this could have been a lot more serious which is why our advice is to store these items in a safe location if possible, such as a garage or a shed rather than inside the home.’

Avi says the experience has put him off having an e-bike or scooter.

He said: ‘I’m definitely shaken up by what happened and I’m definitely not having one in my home again.

‘If you do own an e-bike or scooter, I would recommend charging and storing it outside, and if you can’t, then seriously think about whether you should buy one.’

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The Fire Brigade has been called to 52 e-bike and 12 e-scooter fires so far in 2023.