Lucky escape in Cambs as e-bike burst into flames

A fire was reported in Cambridgeshire as an e-bike burst into flames

E-bike fire
Author: Zoe Head-ThomasPublished 23rd Dec 2023

A resident at a property in Cambridgeshire escaped the worst when their e-bike burst into flames last night.

The Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene of yet another incident involving a lithium-ion battery.

The e-bike had been bought from an online marketplace.

Earlier this month, the Fire and Rescue Service had already warned residents of the dangers of these lithium battery-operated items ahead of Christmas.

Station Commander Gareth Boyd, Community Risk Manager at the Service, had said: “Electrical bikes and scooters are on many people’s present list, along with mobile phones, tablets, laptops and games consoles with controllers. Even things like electric cigarettes and vapes. All these require charging as they contain lithium-ion batteries.

“This year our crews have dealt with an increased number of incidents involving e-bikes, e-scooters and lithium battery powered devices."

The Service is urging people to check the quality of second-hand e-bikes and e-scooters bought this Christmas, and are asking not to use them if the battery pack, plug or cable look damaged.

“There was also the tragic incident in Cambridge where a mother and two children lost their lives after a charging e-bike battery exploded. This has had a significant impact on our staff and the local community", had said Mr Boyd.

Greatest Hits Radio spoke to the man whose family tragically died in this incident, as an investigation on the safety risk of e-bikes was released earlier this week.

You can listen to the full documentary here.

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