As of 28 September, 165 e-bike and e-scooter fires have been recorded in London in 2025, including 134 e-bike fires, an average of around 18 e-bike or e-scooter fires a month.
If this trend continues for the rest of the year, London will surpass 200 incidents in a single year for the first time.
Tragically, one of these fires claimed the life of a 30-year-old woman after a fire broke out at a bedsit in Wood Green on 21 June.
Eden Abera Siem was discovered unconscious inside the property and rescued by firefighters, but she sadly died in hospital later that day.
Following an investigation by our Fire Investigation Team, the probable cause was the failure of a charging lithium-ion battery pack for an e-bike.
This was the fourth fatal fire involving an e-bike recorded in London and the first since 2023. In all four cases, the person who died did not own or use the e-bike involved in the fire.
We have also seen several other serious incidents across the capital resulting in life-threatening injury, serious burns, serious injury from jumping from a window and numerous rescues by firefighters.
Assistant Commissioner for Prevention & Protection, Pamela Oparaocha, said: “We continue to see the devastating consequences of e-bike and e-scooter fires in London. Our thoughts are with the family of Eden as well as all those who have been impacted by fires in recent years.
“Fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters are worryingly common in London. Since the beginning of 2023, we have attended a fire, on average, every other day, and some of these fires have destroyed homes and claimed lives.
“We launched our #ChargeSafe campaign in 2023 to highlight the fire risks with e-bikes and e-scooters; however the rising number of incidents we attend clearly demonstrate the urgent need for further awareness to help protect lives and avoid future tragedies.”
For vital information on how to safely store, charge and use your e-bike or e-scooter, please check out the #ChargeSafe area of our website.
