E-bike charger causes fire at home in Southend
Five pets were rescued by fire crews
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) have rescued 5 pets from a house fire in Southend, caused by an e-bike charger.
Firefighters were called to Lundy Close in Eastwood yesterday morning, just after 11am, where the terraced house owner had discovered their e-bike on fire in an area under the stairs.
Crews from ECFRS said that it had spread slightly to upstairs, and that the fire was "well developed" on the ground floor.
They rescued five pets; two dogs, two tortoises and a cat and the fire had been extinguished at 12:40pm.
The whole house has been damaged by the fire.
Watch Manager Richard Blakebrough, Leigh Fire Station, said:
"Our firefighters did a fantastic job of containing the fire and stopping it spreading any further.
"The fire was caused by the electric bike, which was charging and only a few weeks old.
"Although we don't believe the bike set alight due to mishandling, it's a good reminder to others when charging e-bikes and e-scooters that you do so safely to avoid a risk of a fire starting and putting your family and home at risk.
"Most importantly, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when charging and always unplug your charger when it’s finished charging.
"Make sure you're home while you're charging, so if a fire does start you'll be alerted to it quickly."
ECFRS Charging advice
Advice from the Fire Service on safely charging items such as e-bikes can be found here.