E-bike fire warning as Huyton family flee blaze

Firefighters say there are "significant risks" involved in charging and storing E-bike or scooter batteries

A family whose home was set alight after an electric bike caught fire was "lucky to escape with their lives", firefighters have said.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) said the blaze in Huyton was one of the "most serious" E-bike battery fires crews had dealt with.

It said there were "significant risks" involved in charging and storing lithium-ion batteries.

E-bikes should be charged outside or away from combustible material.

Fire chiefs fear someone could die unless the "urgent warnings" over E-bikes and scooters are heeded.

Owners are being warned against over-charging their bikes

MFRS Area Manager for Prevention Mark Thomas said: "The incidents we've attended recently here in Merseyside could have been fatal if the occupants were asleep or if the properties didn't have working smoke alarms fitted.

"Don't let it happen to you."

People should charge their batteries while awake and inside their homes and should always use an approved charger and avoid over-charging their batteries, the fire service said.

Cyclists are also urged to only buy bikes from reputable outlets and avoid "dangerous" fake or stolen E-bikes.