A child and nine adults have escaped a house fire in Woolwich, believed to have been caused by a failed e-bike battery. The fire broke out at a mid-terraced house on Sandy Hill Road at around 6 am on October 12.

Emergency services were called to the scene, and while most of the occupants, including one child and seven adults, managed to escape before the fire brigade arrived, two additional people were rescued from the rear roof using a short extension ladder.

Several individuals were later taken to hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation. The fire caused significant damage, destroying much of the ground floor and staircase of the two-storey house. Part of the first floor was also affected.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) confirmed that the fire is being treated as accidental, caused by the failure of lithium batteries in a converted e-bike.

An LFB spokesperson commented: “This was a destructive fire that thankfully no one was seriously hurt by. The fire, which is believed to have originated from a converted e-bike, spread rapidly and is another example of the dangers these devices can pose, particularly in the home.”

So far in 2024, the LFB has recorded over 130 fires involving e-bikes or e-scooters, with such devices becoming one of London’s fastest-growing fire risks. The spokesperson also stressed the importance of using proper chargers and not overcharging or leaving the devices unattended while charging.

The fire was brought under control shortly after 7:20 am.

For safety advice, the LFB encourages individuals to only use reputable batteries and chargers, avoid DIY conversions of e-bikes, and always charge devices away from escape routes.