Watch: Fire caused by faulty e-bike batteries blows out window

A video of a window being blown out by a house fire caused by modified e-bike batteries has been released by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) as it urges people to only buy from reputable retailers.

The fire in Failsworth, Oldham, is shown in footage from last week. GMFRS said that the incident was caused by a number of faulty modified e-bikes.

Two casualties were assessed at the scene by paramedics before being conveyed to hospital for precautionary checks. Three fire engines were required to extinguish the fire.

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Billy Fenwich, GFMRS' head of prevention area manager, said: "This incident shows the devastating effects that a fire involving an electric bike battery can have.

“Batteries can be a fire risk if they’re over-charged, short circuited, or damaged, so it’s important to protect them against being damaged and to charge them safely.

“By following our advice on the storage and charging of electric bikes and scooters, Greater Manchester residents can help to keep themselves safe from fire.”

The advice is: 

GMFRS are not the first UK fire service to warn of the dangers of faulty e-bikes and batteries.

Earlier this year, 60 firefighters from London Fire Brigade (LFB) attended a large fire in West London which took place less than a mile from Grenfell Tower, the site of the 2017 tragic blaze that killed 72 people. An investigation by LFB found the fire was caused by a faulty e-bike battery. 

The LFB said multiple incidents involving the batteries had been reported in recent months and told Cycling Weekly it has issued extensive warnings on the matter.

It said that in 2022 it had attended 32 fires involving e-bikes. A further 17 incidents had been reported this year involving other lithium-ion batteries, the type commonly used in e-bikes.