E-bike and e-scooter fire risks explained

E-bike and e-scooter owners are being warned about the dangers of charging lithium-ion batteries after Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) confirmed a fire that killed a mother and three of her children was caused by one.

Elisha Brabin, 36, and her children, Leo, 16, Ellis, eight, and Prudence, seven, died after a fire "spread rapidly" through their home in Stone Square, Bootle, in the early hours of 22 September.

MFRS said investigators found an e-scooter battery charging at the property.

Kev Johnson, the fire service's head of prevention, said the tragedy "highlights the very real risks posed by lithium-ion batteries".

MFRS said 150 fires and five deaths were linked to lithium-ion batteries in Merseyside between April 2023 and August 2026. It said almost half took place in the home and 45% started between 21:00 BST and 08:00.

The fire service has previously warned about the risks posed by lithium-ion batteries.

In February, a young family from St Helens narrowly escaped a fire caused by lithium-ion battery packs from an e-bike.

In 2024, eight-year-old Luke Albiston-O'Donnell from Birkenhead died after a blaze caused by a faulty e-bike battery.

MFRS said e-bikes and e-scooters should not be charged overnight and should never block escape routes.

People who convert bikes into e-bikes are advised to seek expert advice from a bike shop rather than carry out the work themselves. Users should also check battery chargers meet UK safety standards.

The fire service advised people to let batteries cool before charging them, always unplug chargers once charging has finished, and inspect batteries regularly for signs of damage.

Damaged chargers should be unplugged and placed outside, MFRS said.

MFRS said people should look out for the "five Ss", which can indicate a lithium-ion battery is failing:

• Swell - swelling or bulging out of shape is a common sign of the battery failing
• Sound - if they make hissing or cracking sounds
• Smell - a strong or unusual smell
• Stopping - if the battery stops charging, doesn't fully charge or takes too long to charge, this can also be a sign
• Smoke or gas - if your battery, bike or scooter is smoking, this means a fire is about to start so the MFRS said "get out, stay out and call 999"

Becky Guy, a senior policy manager at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), explained why fires involving lithium-ion batteries were "particularly dangerous".

She told BBC North West Tonight : "They can enter a process that's known as thermal runaway and that's basically where the battery will really rapidly overheat and it'll create a really nasty intense fire. They can spread very, very quickly."

Giuseppe Capanna from the charity Electrical Safety First which aims to prevent deaths and injuries by electricity told BBC Radio 5 live: "The biggest problem that we're seeing is sub-standard versions of these batteries, quite often bought from third-party sellers on online market places.

"The other risk is if you charge it with the wrong charger, so it is really important you use the charger that comes with the battery."

He said if you lose the charger, or you need a replacement, it is vital to go back to the original manufacturer.

"Don't be tempted to buy one of these universal chargers you can get on online market places," Capanna said. "They're designed to fit any type of battery and quite often the voltage is incorrect and incompatible and that can be one of the risks that can cause your battery to catch fire."

He added that once you appear to see smoke from a battery it is "too late to do anything about it".

He said it was not actually smoke, but what was known as "venting".

"That is toxic gas and you can't put these fires out in a normal way, with a fire extinguisher or blanket."

If you see venting, "you need to get out of the building as fast as you can and call the fire service," he said.

Meanwhile, Merseyrail is banning non-folding or modified e-bikes in January after a safety review highlighted the challenges of responding to a lithium-ion battery fire.

Neil Grabham, from Merseyrail, said: "While these incidents remain rare, the risk they pose in a railway environment, particularly one running underground trains, means we can't ignore them."

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