Photos reveal extensive damage to Sheffield home after faulty e-bike battery sparks devastating blaze

Images released by the fire service have shown the devastation of a house fire in Sheffield caused by a battery.

Firefighters are now appealing to the public to check their batteries after the blaze almost ended in tragedy.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue attended a fire at a semi-detached home on Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, yesterday morning (Sunday April 28) which was caused by an e-bike battery.

Five fire engines rushed to the property at 11.30am and found the ground floor to be alight. Three hose reels and one main jet were used to extinguish the fire.

Five people managed to evacuate but three people were taken to hospital after sustaining injuries after jumping out of the first floor window.

The fire was caused by a failure of a lithium ion battery in an e-bike which was on charge alongside six other e-bikes in the living room. The ferocity at which lithium ion batteries, used to power e-bikes and e-scooters, burn and explode caused the fire to engulf all three floors of the house.

Fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters are a growing risk for South Yorkshire as 15 fires involving lithium ion batteries were recorded in 2023, almost double the number that occurred in 2022.

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Ade Parkin, group manager at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, said: “The people involved in these incidents are lucky to have escaped without serious injury.

“We know that e-bikes and e-scooters are growing in popularity and can be really beneficial in opening up cycling to people of all fitness levels, not to mention the obvious environmental benefits they bring in terms of reduced carbon emissions compared to other means of transport.

“That is why it is so important to only buy bikes from reputable suppliers that show clearly that they meet UK/EU safety laws and only use the charger supplied with the battery.

“We’d also encourage owners of e bikes to think carefully about where you charge your vehicle and not block any escape routes.”

For more information on e-bike and e-scooter safety, please click here.