Four people have escaped an intense house fire, possibly caused by an e-scooter on charge, at Narraweena, on Sydney’s northern beaches.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) firefighters responded to the blaze in Ronald Avenue, just after 4 am. On arrival, the crews were confronted with smoke billowing from the single-storey home.
Defensive strategy
A collapsing roof and extreme heat prevented the crews from entering the house
A collapsing roof and extreme heat prevented the crews from entering the house, so they adopted a defensive strategy to contain the flames.
Three of the four residents received medical treatment at the scene, with one person being transported to the hospital for burns to a foot.
Nature of Lithium-ion battery fires
FRNSW Duty Commander, Inspector Steven Perkins, said the occupants had an incredibly lucky escape. “All early indicators are pointing to an e-scooter on charge inside the house as the possible cause,” said Inspector Perkins.
He adds, “The nature of Lithium-ion battery fires is extremely volatile. When these devices fail, they tend to do so extremely quickly and with great intensity. Despite how quickly the fire took hold, our crews successfully prevented it from spreading throughout the entire home to neighboring properties.”
As winter approaches, FRNSW is reminding the public to show extra caution around lithium-ion powered devices, such as e-bikes, e-scooters, and mobile devices.
Charging lithium-ion products
When buying, using, or charging lithium-ion products, FRNSW advises the public to:
- Be aware that lithium-ion batteries are prone to reignite after the initial fire has been extinguished.
- Buy lithium-ion products and batteries from reputable suppliers that meet Australian standards.
- Only use cords and chargers supplied with the device. Don’t use inferior or different voltage replacement components.
- Never charge devices while they are sleeping or in places that could block the escape.
- Do not over-charge batteries. Switch off any cells once fully charged to avoid over-heating.
- Try to charge micro-mobility devices like e-bikes and e-scooters outside, away from the home and on a hard surface.
- Charge in a clear non-combustible area near a smoke alarm.
- Note that any strong odors, extreme heat, colour change, deformity or strange sounds could indicate a problem with a lithium-ion battery.
- Dispose of lithium-ion batteries properly, don’t throw them out with household garbage.
