A woman was forced to jump out of the window of a burning building after an e-bike battery caused a fire in north London.
Emergency services were called to Brondesbury Park in Brent at around 5am on Tuesday, June 9, to tackle the fire at a house that had been converted into flats.
One woman evacuated the flat by jumping out of a first-floor window at the front of the property, and was taken to hospital suffering from suspected broken ribs.
Three other people escaped by climbing down onto a flat roof on the first floor at the rear of the property.
Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters from Willesden, West Hampstead, North Kensington, Park Royal and Paddington fire stations attended, bringing the fire under control by around 5.50am.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) said that the fire was accidental and believed to have been caused by the failure of lithium batteries for an e-bike which were on charge at the time of the fire.
The bikes, which were completely destroyed by the fire, were blocking the doors to the flat, leaving the windows as the only route of escape.
LFB have said they attend a fire involving an e-bike or e-scooter “on average every other day”, with 206 fires caused by such vehicles in 2025.
The force has issued fresh reminders about e-bikes and e-scooters safely.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “This incident highlights why you should always ensure your escape route is clear and why we recommend never storing an e-bike or e-scooter on your means of escape, such as a hallway or by your front door.
“We’ve seen the devastating consequences of what can happen when an exit is blocked by an e-scooter fire. Instead, keep it in a room where you can shut a door, contain the fire and call 999.”
The force has stressed that people should only use batteries that have been purchased from a reputable seller, as items purchased online or second-hand often don’t meet UK safety standards and can be prone to going up in flames.
They also advise not overcharging, not leaving a vehicle charging unattended or whilst you are sleeping, and not converting a bike from a pushbike into an e-bike.
