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Fire which saw two rescued 'caused by e-bike'

London Fire Brigade/X A two-storey terraced house with blackened and broken windows and severe damage to the front of the property. There is a 'do not cross' tape in front of the property. The houses on either side appear undamaged. London Fire Brigade/X
Several people were treated for smoke inhalation after the fire

A house fire, which led to the rescue of two people, may have been caused by lithium batteries in a converted e-bike.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) added firefighters used a ladder to help the adults escape the property in Sandy Hill Road, Woolwich, on Saturday morning.

Several other adults and a child were taken to hospital and treated for smoke inhalation.

LFB has now issued another warning about the risks of converted e-bikes, adding it had attended more than 130 fires this year that had involved an e-bike or e-scooter.

London Fire Brigade/X Interior of the house after the fire - the staircase is now burnt timbers and the floor is covered in ash and debris. London Fire Brigade/X
Most of the ground floor and the staircase was damaged by the fire

Of the fire in Woolwich, most of the ground floor and the staircase of the two-storey, mid-terraced house was damaged by the fire. Part of the first floor was also burnt.

An LFB spokesperson said: “Converting pedal bikes into e-bikes using DIY kits bought online can be very dangerous. They can pose a higher risk of fire.

“Get a professional or competent person to carry out the conversion and make sure to buy a battery from a reputable seller and that it is not second-hand.”

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