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Dublin Fire Brigade has warned of the dangers involved when charging e-bikes indoors goes wrong. It has shared a video from fire fighter colleagues in London to demonstrating the how "pulsing" fires can break-out when an e-bike or e-scooter catches fire while being charged.
Dublin Fire Brigade said the pulsing seen in the fire above, with flames pulsing out the window of the property, was most likely caused when each cell of the bike's battery failed and produced gas which expanded rapidly.
It has urged people to buy e-bikes only from reputable retailers and to check for a genuine CE mark on the bikes. It added information on identifying genuine or counterfeit CE marks can be found on the website of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
Other safety tips include:
- If the instruction manual is missing, not in English, or has spelling/grammar mistakes you should return the product.
- If you are buying second-hand you will not know the product’s history. You should have the device checked by a reputable technician.
- Lithium-ion batteries or li-ion batteries (sometimes called LIBs) in e-bikes present a fire risk if they are over-charged, short-circuited, submerged in water or if they are damaged.
- Use the charger that came with the product to charge it.
- Charge outside if possible and never charge in the communal space of an apartment block as these are protected fire escape routes.
- If you must charge inside, charge in a location that will still allow you to escape from all the rooms in your home.
- Charge only for as long as it takes to reach a full charge. Do not charge overnight.
- Unplug the charger if you are leaving your home, even for a short while.
- Never cover e-bikes with items such as coats or jumpers. The battery will heat up during use and during charging and this heat needs to dissipate.
