The blaze was ‘the latest’ in a string of ‘major’ incidents that firefighters have been called out to

FIREFIGHTERS have urged members of the public not to tackle an e-bike blaze after a man was hospitalised with “life-changing” burns when he tried to put out a fire in his bedroom.

The man was injured when an e-bike caught fire at his home in New Orleans Walk, Archway, last Tuesday.

A fire brigade spokesman warned that staying in the property to tackle the blaze – which he described as “the latest” in a string of “major” incidents – left the man facing “severe injuries”.

“An e-bike caught alight inside a bedroom and its owner tried to put the fire out with an extinguisher,” he said. “He sustained burns to several parts of his body as a result before firefighters attended and safely put out the blaze.”

Deputy Commissioner Dom Ellis warned the fires caused by e-bike lithium batteries were “ferocious” blazes that can cause “jets of flame”.

“The blaze is also hot enough to melt through metal,” he added. “This type of fire produces a highly flammable, explosive and toxic vapour cloud which should never be inhaled. The fire can also be extremely challenging to put out.

“This incident, and the severe injuries sustained by this e-bike owner, highlights why you should never tackle a lithium battery fire. Our advice is to get out and call 999.”

An investigation into the cause of the fire found the bike was on charge when it caught light, while the charger had been bought from an “online marketplace” the day before.

The brigade warned e-bike owners to never charge their bikes unattended or while they are asleep, and to never tamper with batteries.

The spokesman added: “It is extremely important to always use the correct charger and to buy it from a reputable seller, otherwise the risk of fire is much greater.”