Fire Safety Alert Issued for E-bike and E-scooter Purchases

A warning regarding the potential for fires is being issued to individuals contemplating the purchase of an e-bike or e-scooter during upcoming Black Friday sales events. Personnel from the London Fire Brigade (LFB) were present at the Westfield Stratford shopping centre, located in east London, to apprise prospective purchasers that certain chargers or conversion kits might fail to comply with safety standards, thereby posing a fire risk. This initiative constituted a component of the LFB’s ChargeSafe campaign, which provided guidance to the public on the secure charging and storage of their e-bikes and e-scooters. Mark Richardson, a sub-officer at Stratford Fire Station, stated, “We just want to encourage people to buy their scooters and and their e-bikes from a reputable shop.” He added, “They’re great, but they need to be bought safely to keep them safe once they’ve got them to use.” This caution follows several weeks after the government initiated its own “Buy Safe, Be Safe” campaign, which implored the public to acquire secure e-bikes and e-scooters and to steer clear of what it termed “rogue online sellers.” The LFB reported that it had responded to 124 fires attributed to e-bikes and 24 caused by e-scooters within London during the current year. Furthermore, in 2023, the brigade addressed a fire incident involving an e-bike or e-scooter in the capital every two days. Mr. Richardson commented, “It’s a massively growing industry so people are trying to make money out of it, so they’re advertising these things that are not safe, are not meeting the high standards that other reputable high street shops are having to meet and therefore they’re going wrong more often.” He noted that fires associated with e-bikes and e-scooters frequently escalated “really quickly,” presenting difficulties for the brigade. He further added, “People are charging these things indoors, often in the hallway… and because this is creating a fire hazard it means that the people that are inside the property are struggling to get out.” “If they’re struggling to get out, it’s equally difficult for us to get in… to help them.” Graham Beers, the station commander at Stratford Fire Station, indicated that the brigade recommended individuals charge these devices outdoors, away from their properties. He advised, “If you are charging indoors ensure that you’re using the correct charger for that product, so don’t go and get a secondhand one.” He continued, “Never be charging that product unattended or while you’re sleeping. “If you do see a problem with your battery, isolate the power leave the prop and dial 999.” He also stated, “Ensure that all your escape routes are clear so if there is an issue and you do need to leave the property quickly you can.”