Multiple fire crews tackled a major blaze at a pedicab storage unit and workshop in Southwark on 21 September 2024, believed to have been caused by the “catastrophic failure of multiple lithium batteries”.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) received 21 calls regarding the fire at Union Street in Southwark and dispatched six fire appliances and around 40 firefighters to the scene, including crews from Dowgate, Dockhead, Whitechapel, and surrounding fire stations.
Prior to their arrival, one person reportedly jumped from the first floor of the building and was taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service. Two other people also left the property before crews arrived. LFB later confirmed that the ground floor, used for pedicab repair and storage, had been destroyed by fire, while the first floor of the premises suffered heat and smoke damage.
“The most likely cause for the fire is believed to be the catastrophic failure of multiple lithium batteries,” LFB later confirmed.
The Brigade has since issued further warnings about the dangers of using faulty lithium batteries: “If there is overheating, crushing, penetrating, or overcharging, then a fault can occur within damaged battery cells which may cause the battery to catch fire and/or explode.
“These types of fires are ferocious, shooting out jets and can be extremely hard to extinguish. The public should never try and tackle a lithium battery fire and should get away from one as quickly and as safely as possible.”
A spokesperson for LFB added: “Personal light electric vehicles, such as pedicabs, along with e-bikes and e-scooters, can be a fun and sustainable way of getting around London.
“However, e-bikes and e-scooters in particular have become one of London’s fastest-growing fire risks which is why London Fire Brigade has been running its #ChargeSafe awareness campaign.”
"From previous investigations, we know many of the fires we’ve attended have involved second-hand vehicles or the bike has been modified using parts bought online. It’s important to get a conversion carried out by a professional or a competent person.
"It’s also important to make sure the conversion kits, batteries and chargers you’re purchasing for the bike are from a reputable seller. At this time, there is not the same level of regulation of products for e-bikes and e-scooters sold via online marketplaces or auction sites when compared to high street shops, so we cannot be confident that products meet the correct safety standards. Products that fail to meet safety standards are at higher risk of malfunctioning.”
Safety tips for users of e-bikes and e-scooters can be found here.
(Photograpgh by the London Fire Brigade)