London is in the grip of a shocking Riserise in e-bike and e-scooter fires, with the London Fire Brigade (LFB) battling flames almost every other day. So far in 2025, crews have tackled 165 fires — a 28% surge compared to last year.
If this trend keeps up, the capital could smash the 200-fire mark–england/scotland-england/”>scotland/”>scotland/”>mark for the first time ever.
Fatal Blaze Tied to Faulty Battery
In June, 30-year-old Eden Abera Siem lost her life after a fire tore through her england/wood-green-england/”>green-england/”>green/”>Wood Green bedsit. Firefighters rescued her unconscious from the blaze, but she later died in hospital.
Investigators say a dodgy lithium-ion battery from a charging e-bike sparked the fire. Eden’s death is the fourth fatality tied to e-bike fires since 2023 — hauntingly, none involved the owners or riders themselves.
Fire Chief Sounds the Alarm
Assistant Commissioner Pamela Oparaocha warned: “We continue to see the devastating consequences of e-bike and e-scooter fires in London. Our thoughts are with Eden’s family and everyone affected by these fires.”
“Since early 2023, we’ve attended a fire roughly every other day, with some destroying homes and costing lives.”
Cheap Batteries Are a Fire Hazard
Most blazes stem from second-hand batteries and chargers purchased online, often made to poor standards and unregulated. These Cheapcheap, dodgy products pose a far bigger fire risk than official gear from trusted stores.
The LFB is urging delivery giants like Uber Eats, Just Eat, and Deliveroo to boost fire safety training for their riders, many of whom live with or regularly use e-bikes.
Oparaocha added: “We’ve worked with organisations to get safety info directly to riders, but these fires reveal the huge dangers posed to people and homes.”
Calls Grow for Tougher Rules
Lesley Rudd, head of Electrical Safety First, says the Government must act NOW.
Rudd said: “Many e-bike fires start with lithium-ion battery failures. If these batteries are substandard, they can trigger catastrophic fires, spewing toxic fumes and heating to over 700 degrees in seconds.”
She demands mandatory third-party certification for all e-bike batteries sold in the UK and tighter controls on conversion kits that electrify regular bikes.
Rudd also calls for crackdowns on dodgy online marketplaces flooding the market with unsafe, cheap batteries.
London on High Alert
As e-bike fires rage on, emergency services warn of mounting risks to lives and homes unless urgent action is taken. The unseen threat lies in faulty batteries — a ticking timebomb in the capital’s streets.
