Dramatic footage shows the moment an e-bike which was on charge exploded in a Harlesden kitchen.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has published two videos showing the explosion in Cecil Road on Saturday (May 13).
The fire happened while security guard Dell Williams was charging the e-scooter he had bought a fortnight earlier on Gumtree.
In the seconds following the explosion, the house’s kitchen filled with flames and smoke.
Neither Dell or the other tenants living in the property were near the kitchen when the explosion took place.
The 37-year-old said: “I just want to thank the Lord that we managed to get out of there in one piece. I am so grateful to be alive.
“I spent eight hours in hospital due to inhaling smoke from the fire.
“When I went back to the house it was such an eye-opener.
“I was shocked, I am shocked now. I am so grateful that no-one else was hurt. I cheated death.”
He added: “Don’t have e-scooters in the house. Charge outside.”
LFB deputy commissioner Dom Ellis claimed that this type of fire is becoming increasingly common.
He said: “As the video shows, once a battery starts to go into thermal runaway a fire develops very quickly and can block escape routes.
“Thermal runaway can lead to the destruction of the battery and a ferocious fire.
“We know prior to ignition, thermal runaway can lead to the ejection of a range of gases. The white and grey coloured smoke is not harmless, and the speed at which these incidents develop shouldn’t be ignored.”
The brigade has been called to 48 e-bike fires and 12 e-scooter fires in London so far this year.
On Wednesday, transport minister Jesse Norman told the Commons’ Transport Select Committee that e-scooter and e-bike fires are “an issue of serious concern” and the Government is “working hard on it”.
He said: “We’ve had very few fires on the (e-scooter) trials, but we have had some.
“There are obviously wider reports and there’s now a scare going on at the moment about e-bikes.”
Users of e-scooters and e-bikes are advised to allow their batteries to cool down before recharging them, and to buy chargers and batteries from reputable sellers.
LFB also urged people to fit smoke alarms in areas where charging happens indoors.
Some reporting by PA.
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