Cambridge fire deaths: Fire chief warns about e-bike charging

The fire broke out on Sackville Close in King's Hedges, Cambridge, on Friday

An e-bike left charging in a flat where a mother and two children died will be examined by investigators, the fire service said.

Cambridgeshire Fire Service said the bike was the "most probable cause" of the blaze in Cambridge on Friday.

The fire claimed the lives of Gemma Germeney, 31, and her children Lilly Peden, eight, and Oliver Peden, four.

Mark Thomas, of the National Fire Chiefs Council, also repeated warnings about charging batteries in the home.

A man in his 30s remains in a critical condition after the early morning blaze in the King's Hedges area of the city.

A mother and two children died in the flat fire in Cambridge last Friday

Mr Thomas, a member of the National Fire Chiefs Council's home safety committee, told BBC Breakfast that the initial findings of the Cambridgeshire Fire Service "pointed towards the failure of an e-bike of some description".

"One can only imagine the impact that the incident would have on the friends, the family of the lady and the children, and the local community," he said.

"We ask people to consider where they get their e-bikes from, are we buying from reputable sellers?"

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He said conversion kits - where an electrical component is added to a standard bike - were "a challenge" for the fire service and could cause battery failure.

"A lithium ion battery will fail with a great energy," he said.

"Most people will not experience a house fire in their lifetime, however in these types of fires where lithium ion is concerned, when the battery fails it ejects its contents which makes it more of an intense blaze."

Flowers and soft toys have been left at the scene since Friday

He advised owners not to overload sockets and to make sure there was a working smoke alarm on every floor of a property.

Guidance on the Cambridgeshire Fire Service website said "with an increased use of e-bikes and e-scooters, comes a corresponding fire safety concern associated with their charging and storage".

It added: "On occasions batteries can fail catastrophically. They can explode and/or lead to a rapidly developing fire."

'Awake and alert'

Area commander Stuart Smith said the service spent two days at the scene of Friday's fire on Sackville Close with police and specialist fire investigation support.

The vehicle involved had been taken away for further testing, he said.

"All we know from the fire investigation is that the e-bike was on charge, the plug was switched on, it was connected," he said.

"The likelihood is that the e-bike overheated and then caused a fire in the charging process.

"We all know that these electric scooters, e-bikes, hoverboards are starting to be used as modes of transport so they are more prevalent in people's homes when they are being charged.

"I appreciate people want them ready to use to get about during the day, so they charge them at night - but I would urge people to charge them when they are awake and alert."

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