A fire that killed a mother and two young children in Cambridge on Friday was caused by an electric bike that was charging at the property.
Gemma Germeney, 31, died at the scene of the “devastating” blaze in Sackville Close, King’s Hedges, on Friday morning, while her children Lilly Peden, eight, and Oliver Peden, four, later died in hospital.
A man in his 30s, who is understood to have escaped the flames before firefighters arrived, remains in hospital in a critical condition.
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said on Monday: “It is believed that the fire started accidentally and the most probable cause was an e-bike.”
“Fire service and specialist fire investigators, together with police forensic teams and a fire dog, have spent the weekend carrying out a thorough investigation of the maisonette,” said Area Commander Stuart Smith. “A fire investigation looks for the most probable cause and in this case, we believe that to be an electric bike that was charging.”
More than 30 firefighters rushed to attend the blaze after being called at 1.08am on Friday.
Crews arrived to find smoke billowing from the ground and first floor of a two-storey maisonette.
Firefighters managed to stop the fire from spreading to neighbouring homes.
Mr Smith described the tragedy as “a devastating and deeply upsetting incident that will touch many people,” adding: “Our thoughts are with the relatives, friends and neighbours of the family. It’s just heartbreaking.”
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is warning people to take precautions when charging e-bikes, which are becoming an increasingly popular mode of transport and are known for their fire risks.
“We know e-bikes and e-scooters are popular modes of personal transport at the moment and we are urging anyone with one to be aware of the potential risks and follow simple precautions to reduce the likelihood of the batteries overheating,” said Mr Smith on Monday.
It emerged last week that in London there has been a 60 per cent rise in the number of fires caused by e-bike batteries so far this year, compared with the same period in 2022.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) has issued a warning, saying firefighters have been called to one e-scooter or e-bike fire every two days since the start of 2023.
For advice on how to safely charge and store e-bikes, visit ambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service website here.
