Three people had to be rescued from a flat fire after an e-scooter exploded in a communal corridor.

Firefighters were called to Annesley Avenue in Colindale at around 6.15am on Monday (October 30).

Seven adults and two children had fled the blaze before they arrived, but three people had to be rescued from the first floor.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus entered the building and provided fire escape hoods, which temporarily filter toxic smoke to make breathing easier, to those trapped.  

They were all assessed on scene by London Ambulance Service crews.

Firefighters had brought the blaze in Annesley Avenue under control just after 8am.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) has blamed the fire on the battery pack of an e-scooter failing while on charge in a communal corridor, describing it as “accidental”.

A small part of a first-floor corridor in the building was damaged by fire, and the e-scooter was destroyed.

Firefighters have now urged people not to block their escape route with an e-scooter or e-bike.

A LFB spokesperson said: “We know just how ferocious and harmful these fires can be, so if something was to go wrong, we don’t want an e-bike or e-scooter inside a property.

“However, we appreciate for some people, keeping it inside is the only option.”

They added: “Never store the vehicle by your front door, in a hallway, or on any escape route.

“Instead, keep it in a room where you can shut a door, contain the fire and call 999. 

“Never charge your e-bike or e-scooter whilst you are asleep and unplug the charger once the vehicle has finished charging. Please also make sure you are using the correct charger for the vehicle.

“We strongly believe you are far safer if you buy your product from a reputable seller where you can be more confident that it has been built to the required safety standard.

“We are really concerned about the sale of faulty or counterfeit products being purchased from online marketplaces for e-bikes and e-scooters like chargers, batteries and conversion kits.”

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters from Hendon, Mill Hill and Stanmore stations attended the scene.