A national charity is campaigning for a change in the law after three residents were hospitalized after a house fire in Sheffield caused by an e-bike battery over the weekend.
Five fire engines were sent to a house on Ecclesall Road at 11.30am on Sunday and found the ground floor to be fully on fire when they arrived.
Five people managed to evacuate but three people were taken to hospital after jumping out of the first floor window to escape the fire.
Ade Parkin, Group Manager at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said: “The people involved in these incidents are lucky to have escaped without serious injury.
“We know that e-bikes and e-scooters are growing in popularity and can be really beneficial in opening up cycling to people of all fitness levels, not to mention the obvious environmental benefits they bring in terms of reduced carbon emissions compared to other means of transport.
“That is why it is so important to only buy bikes from reputable supplier that show clearly that they meet UK/EU safety laws and only use the charger supplied with the battery.”
The fire was caused by a failure of a lithium ion battery in an e-bike which was on charge. There were six other e-bikes within the living room.
All three stories of the house were engulfed in flames.
Lesley Rudd, chief executive of Electrical Safety First, said: “We are aware that the Government has commissioned research to better understand the issue, but speed is of vital importance in order to avoid further injuries and deaths.”
Electrical Safety First looks to curb the current issue of manufacturers being able to self-declare their batteries as safe by implementing third party certification with a draft bill to be tabled by MP Yvonne Fovargue.
Around 48% of waste fires in the UK are caused by lithium-ion batteries, according to The Environmental Services Association.
Ms. Rudd added: “Preventing substandard and dangerous batteries from entering the market in the first place will significantly reduce the risk to the public.
“The fires caused when these batteries fail are unique in their ferocity and can have devastating consequences. We urge the Government to back our Bill in order to avoid further injuries and deaths.”
Third party certification has been introduced before in New York City, and is already in place in the UK for other high-risk products such as fireworks and heavy machinery.
