A dog owner has been left devastated after a fire caused by an e-scooter claimed the life of his beloved pet. Kevin Record was awoken by Shogun in the early hours of the morning on Monday, April 17, to alert him to the blaze that would go on to tear his flat apart.
The 43-year-old found sparks coming from his e-scooter and within a matter of moments it burst in to flames, withthe fire spreading rapidly. Kevin managed to escape with his life but his dog tragically perished in the blaze, reports KentLive.
The fire caused life-changing burns to the right side of Kevin's body and the damage done to his home was irreversible, despite the best efforts of Kent Fire and Rescue Service, who sent four fire engines to the flat in the town of Sheerness.
The emergency services arrived around 1.35am, as Kevin's belongings were destroyed. The fire investigators believe a fault occurred with the e-scooter charging, with the battery overheating and catching alight.
When hearing the news that Shogun had died, Kevin said: “I’m absolutely devastated by what’s happened, especially losing Shogun. He was everything to me and died saving my life. I can’t explain the speed of the fire. I had never seen anything like it. Within seconds, it was like a fireball that spread to everything in sight. It was like a grenade going off, just terrifying.”
Kevin says he took precautions over his scooter to check there were no faults as he was aware of the fire risk posed by the vehicles. He was speaking from his hospital bed, surrounded by loved ones.
He added: “I’m quite into technology and thought I had a good understanding of electronics, but this just shows a fire like this can happen to anyone. I was a real advocate of things like e-scooters and e-cigarettes, but I wouldn’t ever buy anything like that again after going through this. I would never want this to happen to anyone else, so I hope by sharing my experience, I can help other people to stay safe.”
Kent Fire and Rescue Service Crew Manager Steve Smart, who was one of the first responders, said: “Kevin absolutely had a lucky escape – if Shogun hadn’t of woken him up the outcome could have been very different.
“We’re grateful to Kevin for sharing his story, which we know can’t have been easy, but we hope it will help to raise awareness of the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries and encourage people take extra care, and to use and store them safely to reduce the chance of a fire.
“If you have any items powered by lithium-ion batteries please remember to only purchase devices and parts from reputable suppliers, charge and store them safely in line with the manufacturer’s guidance, only charge them when you’re at home and awake, so you’ll know quickly if there’s a fire, always unplug them after use, store them well away from escape routes or sleeping areas. Also, it’s essential to have a smoke alarm on each floor of your home and to test it weekly - it could save your life.”
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