E-bike fire causes 'significant damage' to house

An e-bike caught fire while charging on Saturday

A fire involving an e-bike has caused "significant damage" to a house.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) was called to Allington Road in Swindon at 12:25 BST on Saturday, following reports of a blaze.

Nobody was injured, but one person suffered smoke inhalation and went to hospital as a precaution, a fire service spokesperson said.

Station manager Dave Geddes urged owners of e-bikes and e-scooters to "take every precaution" to ensure they are charged safely.

The service said it also responded to reports of another e-bike fire in Bradford-on-Avon on Saturday, which the owner was able to extinguish before firefighters arrived.

Fires caused by lithium-ion batteries - which are found in e-bikes and e-scooters - can spread rapidly, it added.

'Always a risk'

DWFRS advised owners of e-bikes and e-scooters to make sure they have working smoke alarms, and recommended the installation of heat alarms where charging points are located in a garage or kitchen.

Owners are also reminded to only charge batteries while they are awake and alert, so they can quickly respond to a fire, should one occur.

Mr Geddes said: “There is always a risk that lithium-ion batteries can fail catastrophically, explode or lead to a rapidly developing fire.

"We would therefore always urge anyone with an e-bike or e-scooter to take every precaution to ensure that it is charged as safely as possible.

"Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, unplug the charger as soon as it’s finished, and only ever use the correct charger.”