Overview
- A charging e‑bike battery failed inside a Lewisham flat, triggering a hallway fire that crews brought under control in about half an hour.
- As smoke spread through the home, a woman jumped from a third‑floor balcony and was taken to hospital with serious injuries from the fall.
- Firefighters led a man to safety from the flat and he was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
- London Fire Brigade says the e‑bike had been on charge for about 12 hours and believes a lithium battery failed catastrophically.
- The Brigade reports it now attends e‑bike or e‑scooter fires about every other day, logging 206 incidents in London last year, and urges #ChargeSafe steps such as avoiding hallway charging and using reputable batteries and the correct charger.