A mother has described how she lost everything when her home was devastated within 15 minutes by a fire caused by her son's faulty e-bike battery. Joanne Frost, 42, arrived back at her two-bedroom property in Bromley, south-east London, one morning last June to find fierce flames leaping from her windows.
Her teenage son's e-bike, which had been stored in the front room, had burst into flames, completely gutting the home she had lived in for 24 years. Photographs from the scene show the bike almost entirely incinerated, with only the rear wheel and a section of the frame surviving.
Joanne recalled: 'My son was in there, his friend, and a dog – he just heard a bang. He opened his bedroom door and he just heard noises and smoke, he was stuck in his bedroom. He opened up the windows and a man across the road, luckily, was outside painting the front of the house. He came over with the ladder and managed to get the boys out.'
'The dog was stuck in there for a while, but we managed to get him out. It literally just went up in 15 minutes. The house was just gone.'
The fire destroyed ceilings, a sofa, and recently purchased kitchen equipment. Joanne has been living in temporary accommodation for ten months, including six weeks in a Travelodge. Her son Olly, 16, had received the e-bike as a birthday present from his father. During the eight months he owned it, he used it to ride around the park and visit friends.
Joanne said she and her son have been left with 'a bit of PTSD' following the blaze. The only appliance she now leaves plugged in is her fridge. She urged others to ensure they understand what they are purchasing.
'If you're going to buy a bike, make sure you buy one from a proper shop. Don't buy one of the converted kits. Don't charge it at nighttime. If you're going to charge it, do it in the garden, don't charge it in your house at all – at least if it does blow up, it blows up outside, not in your property. I've become very paranoid about everything now – I don't charge my mobile phone overnight. I make sure the plugs are all turned off.'
She added: 'E-bikes should be tested properly, these batteries need to be tested properly. I don't know where they're getting them from, it's becoming the norm with these electric bikes blowing up everywhere. Something definitely needs to be done – there need to be stricter regulations on the manufacturers and the suppliers.'
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson commented: 'If you can, store an e-bike or e-scooter outdoors in an external location such as a garage or shed. However, we understand that this is not possible for everyone. If you keep an e-bike or e-scooter indoors, make sure it is never being stored or charged on an escape route, such as a hallway, by the front door or on or under a staircase. Instead, have it in a room away from the door, where in the event of a fire, you can shut the door and get everyone to safety.'
In the UK, road-legal e-bikes can be ridden by anyone aged 14 or over, provided they qualify as an 'electrically assisted pedal cycle'. To remain within the law, they must feature pedals capable of propelling the bike, and the motor must disengage when the speed exceeds 15.5 mph. Any e-bike that can be driven beyond this speed by its motor alone, lacks pedals, or produces a continuous rated power output greater than 250 watts, is legally classified as a motorbike and must be taxed and insured accordingly.
