Man escapes injury after e-bike catches fire

Firefighters have issued safety advice about e-bike converter kits after a bike caught fire this afternoon in Colchester. 

A man was riding on Woden Avenue in Stanway through when he noticed smoke coming from his bike. 

He quickly pulled over and got off his bike as it caught fire. Although crews arrived quickly in that time one of the battery cells had already exploded and launched itself over 20 metres away. 

On arrival firefighters were able to tackle the fire with water, something which is not always possible when dealing with lithium ion batteries, and made the scene safe. 

Crew Manager Sunil Galvin, Colchester Fire Station, said: 

"Thankfully the man involved in this incident was unharmed. It's concerning to think these conversion kits, where people can turn their push bikes into electric bikes, are being sold on online marketplaces without any regulation. 

"It's really important that anything electrical is made by a reputable retailer and designed to be used with that product."

Last year London Fire Brigade (LFB) said that almost 40% of e-bike fires it attended were caused by conversion kits.

Crew Manager Galvin added:

"We also see risky behaviour when it comes to charging e-bikes and e-scooters. Make sure you only charge these items when you're awake and at home, and keep them out of the way of escape routes. That way, if they do catch fire you'll be able to get out, stay out and call 999."