E-bike causes fire that destroys a two-storey house as firefighters warn bike owners of common mistake that triggers dangerous blazes
- Home bursts into flames in Sydney’s south
- E-bike battery caught on fire while charging
- Man forced to jump from second-floor balcony
A home has gone up in flames after an e-bike caught on fire in the garage, prompting firefighters to urge owners not to leave them on charge for too long.
Firefighters rushed to the two-storey home on Mathewson Street in Eastgardens, in Sydney‘s south, after the bike exploded about 8pm on Sunday night.
A woman was forced to escape the home by jumping from a second floor balcony as crews battled the blaze which spread from the garage to the ground floor.
Neighbours claim the property belongs to an electric scooter e-bike repairman who had been storing multiple batteries in his garage that had fuelled the flames.
A man was forced to jump from a second floor balcony (pictured) to avoid the flames as fourteen crews battled the fire that had spread from the garage to the ground floor
Firefighters rushed to the two-storey home on Mathewson Street in Eastgardens, south Sydney, after it burst into flames at about 8pm on Sunday night
Pictures of the damage show the home blackened by the flames and the remains of a scorched e-bike lying amongst other rubble in the garage.
Firefighters believe the blaze erupted after the bike’s faulty lithium-ion battery exploded while it was charging overnight.
‘The e-bike battery has been secured and immersed in water by firefighters to prevent re-ignition,’ Fire and Rescue said in a statement.
‘A fire crew remained at the scene overnight to prevent the battery’s re-ignition.’
The blast of the battery exploding was heard across the suburb with one neighbour recalling seeing ‘smoke billowing out of the garage’.
Shocking images of the damage show the blackened bricks of the home and the remains of a scorched e-bike lying amongst other rubble in the garage (pictured)
‘The e-bike battery has been secured and immersed in water by firefighters to prevent re-ignition,’ Fire and Rescue said in a statement on Monday
Crews took several other lithium-ion batteries from the home over fears they would explode or ignite after being exposed to the hot flames.
Firefighters have since reminding e-bike riders that faulty or over-charged lithium batteries can be a ‘serious’ safety risk.
‘They can off-gas and explode, causing intense fires that are extremely difficult to extinguish and are at risk of re-igniting,’ firefighters warned.
Owners of e-bikes are advised to stick to reputable and compatible lithium-ion battery brands and avoid overcharging or charging their vehicles overnight.
It comes just weeks after an elderly couple’s luxury waterfront home was razed by a fire understood to have been sparked by a lithium battery (pictured)
It took firefighters hours to bring the blaze under control (pictured), believed to have been sparked by a battery charging in the garage
It comes just weeks after an Queensland couple’s luxury waterfront home was razed by a fire understood to have been sparked by a lithium battery.
The $1.65million house on Nootka Court in Broadbeach Waters on the Gold Coast was engulfed by the blaze in late January.
‘Preliminary investigations suggest the fire was caused by a failure in an e-scooter battery pack,’ a QFES spokesperson said at the time.
‘The reason for the failure is unknown at this stage.’
It is believed the source of the fire was a battery for an electric e-bicycle or e-scooter in the garage.
