Firefighters were called to a house fire on Baker Street in Alvaston, a suburb of Derby, at around 2am on Saturday. Crews from Kingsway, Ascot Drive and Nottingham Road fire stations arrived to find a "well-developed fire" on the ground floor, with flames coming from the ground-floor windows.
Woman Rescued from Scaffolding
Firefighters rescued a woman from scaffolding outside the property. She was taken to hospital along with another occupant for precautionary checks after inhaling smoke. Crews extinguished the blaze and left the scene at 3.49am, Derbyshire Live reports.
The fire service said a charging e-scooter is believed to be "the most likely cause" of the fire.
Safety Warning from Fire Service
Ellie Gillatt, area manager for fire prevention, said: "This incident is a stark reminder of how quickly fires involving lithium-ion batteries can develop.
"E-scooters and e-bikes are becoming increasingly popular, but if batteries are damaged, faulty or charged incorrectly, they can catch fire and spread rapidly due to thermal runaway - a chemical process that happens when the batteries are involved in fire.
"These fires also produce large amounts of smoke and toxic gases. I would urge anyone who owns an e-scooter or e-bike to take simple steps to reduce the risk of fire. Always use the manufacturer-approved charger, avoid overcharging batteries, and never leave them charging while you are asleep or away from home.
"It is also important not to charge or store these devices near escape routes, as a fire can spread rapidly and affect your ability to get out safely.
"Thankfully, no one was seriously injured in this incident, but the outcome could have been very different. Our message is simple: charge and store e-scooters and e-bikes safely, make sure you have working smoke alarms, and if a battery catches fire, get out, stay out and call 999."
Safety Advice for Owners
The fire service has offered the following e-scooter and e-bike safety advice:
- Never leave e-scooters or e-bikes charging overnight or when you are away from home.
- Never charge or store them near your escape route.
- Only use manufacturer-approved batteries and chargers.
- Do not cover chargers or battery packs while they are charging.
- Never use a battery that shows any sign of damage.
