Watch: Flames and smoke explode out of Leytonstone house from e-bike fire

Shocking footage of intense flames and thick black smoke pouring from the windows of a Leytonstone house fire started by a charging e-bike battery has emerged.

Firefighters warned about the dangers of e-vehicles following an accidental blaze in a house on Grove Road, Leytonstone, Waltham Forest, last month.

Three fire engines and 15 firefighters were called at just after 4pm on Tuesday, January 18, and there were no reports of anyone injured.

Now an “incredible” video of the scene has emerged, prompting yet more concerns over safety risks from e-bike and e-scooter batteries.

Ex-London firefighter, Steve Dudeney, posted on Twitter: “Not my video, but passed to me by a former London Fire colleague.

“A house fire in east London a couple of weeks ago [was] caused by an e-scooter lithium battery.

“The burning batteries ‘flaring’ causes overpressure which looks like mini-backdraughts!!!”

And a fire service spokesperson also tweeted: “Incredible video (source unknown) that shows the dangers of lithium-ion batteries.

“The incident was on January 18 on Grove Road, Leytonstone.

“The cause was the failure of a lithium-ion battery pack for an e-bike (not e-scooter) that had been on charge.”

While safety campaigner Sarah Gayton said: “E-scooters are not safe on the roads, on the pavements, in peoples homes or on public transport.

“It is clear there is something going wrong - they can spontaneously combust or burst into flames when charging.

“The speed they start to smoke is frightening. They are like a ticking time bomb and urgent action is required to get rid of them once and for all.

“Lives need to be protected. The government needs to act before someone is burnt to death in one of these fires. This madness has to stop.”

Following the blaze, a London Fire Brigade (LFB) spokesperson warned: “Lithium-ion batteries are susceptible to failure if incorrect chargers are used. Always use the correct charger for the product and buy an official one from a reputable seller.

“Batteries can pose a risk if they have been damaged, so ensure they are not knocked around while in use or carried as spares as this can increase the chance of damage.

“You should also not expose them to temperature extremes.”

They added: “Always make sure you unplug your charger once it’s finished charging and always follow manufacturers’ instructions when charging.

“We would advise not to leave it unattended or while people are asleep. Keep internal doors to rooms closed to stop smoke spreading if a fire starts.”