The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has shared footage of an e-scooter on charge bursting into flames at a property in Brent. The video has been released by the LFB to help raise awareness for its Charge Safe campaign.
Security guard Dell Williams, 37, bought the e-scooter from online marketplace Gumtree and says he was charging it in the communal kitchen of a two-storey terraced house. He and the other residents were not nearby when the incident occurred.
The CCTV footage, captured on two cameras in the hallway and in the kitchen of the property shared by the letting agent, shows how quickly the e-scooter caught alight.
The LFB recently launched its Charge Safe campaign with the aim to help people safely use e-bikes and e-scooters and to inform them of dangers relating to charging, storing and modifying the vehicles and their batteries. The latest data shows that there have been 48 e-bike fires and 12 e-scooter fires in the capital in 2023.
Dom Ellis, the LFB’s deputy commissioner, says that while this type of incident is frightening, it is becoming more common. “As the video shows, once a battery starts to go into thermal runaway a fire develops very quickly and can block escape routes.
“Thermal runaway can lead to the destruction of the battery and a ferocious fire. We know prior to ignition thermal runaway can lead to the ejection of a range of gases.
"The white and grey coloured smoke is not harmless, and the speed at which these incidents develop shouldn’t be ignored. Please follow our #ChargeSafe advice and never tackle a fire: get out, stay out and dial 999.”
