Investigators have confirmed that a battery being charged for an electric scooter caused the house fire in Bootle that killed a mother and her three children earlier this month. Elisha Brabin, 36, died alongside her children Leo Brabin, 16, Ellis Brabin, eight, and Prudence Brabin, seven, in the fire at their home on Stone Square in the Sefton town, which broke out at around 3.45am on Tuesday, September 20.
Investigation findings
Emergency services were called to the semi-detached house following reports of a fire. The fire service later confirmed that four people were found in a bedroom upstairs and were pronounced dead at the scene. A fifth person was taken to hospital suffering from burns, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) said on Monday, September 28, that the fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery. Following an investigation by the MFRS incident investigation team and Merseyside Police, the cause was determined to be an "electrical event" that caused the battery to go into thermal runaway, a chain reaction leading to a rapid spike in temperature and fire.
Device identified
A lithium-ion battery is a rechargeable power source that uses lithium ions to store and release electrical energy, and is used in a wide range of everyday items. When asked which device contained the battery, an MFRS spokesperson told the ECHO: "Our investigation team has confirmed it was a battery being charged for an electric scooter."
There were 150 fires linked to items containing lithium-ion batteries in Merseyside between April 2023 and August 2026. Of these, 45% (67) occurred in someone's home, and 45% (30) of those occurred between 9pm and 8am. Since April 2023, there have been five fatalities in Merseyside related to lithium-ion batteries, more than a quarter of all fire fatalities in that period.
Official response
MFRS head of prevention, Kev Johnson, said: "This is a devastating incident, and our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the mother and children who lost their lives and those who were injured. I would like to commend the efforts of our fire control staff and our fire crews, also working with NWAS colleagues, who made every effort to provide a different outcome, but sadly this was not the case due to the speed and intensity of the fire. This tragedy highlights the very real risks posed by lithium-ion batteries, which we confirmed as the source of the fire."
In a statement released last week, the family of Elisha, Leo, Ellis and Prudence said: "Elisha was our beloved daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunty, niece and cousin. She was a devoted and loving mother who lived for her children. They were her whole world, and she meant everything to us. Our beautiful babies, Leo, Ellis and Prudence, were loved beyond measure and brought so much joy, happiness and love to our family. They filled our lives with laughter and precious memories that we will cherish forever."
