Warning issued as e-bike starts house fire

The e-bike fire caused smoke damage to the ground floor of the house

A house fire in Nuneaton was caused by an e-bike, according to the fire service.

Emergency crews attended the blaze in Grove Farm at about 21:00 BST on Monday after an occupant heard loud bangs while in the shower.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said the e-bike was not on charge at the time but had started to not function properly.

The fire caused smoke damage to the ground floor of the house, and residents managed to vacate the property.

The fire service encouraged people to apply for a free fire safety visit to reduce risks at home.

It said that lithium battery fires could get quickly out of control, burn intensely and become difficult to extinguish.

Warning signs with e-bike batteries, it added, included a battery bulging or swelling out of shape, cracking sounds, or hissing and failure to fully charge.

Many e-bike fires, it continued, were caused by incompatible chargers, modifications to e-bikes, or faulty or counterfeit products that were purchased online.