Lucky escape for residents following e-bike battery explosion - Guildford
Published: 06 Nov 2024 12:12pm
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews have extinguished an e-bike battery fire before it could take hold and harm residents or property overnight at Guildford in Sydney’s west.
The owner, who only obtained the second-hand e-bike the day before, placed the battery into the bike shortly after 2.00am this morning, noticing a small spark soon after.
As a precaution, the owner removed the battery from the e-bike and threw it into an outside courtyard.
The battery then caught fire, producing violent explosions and scattering battery cells and other debris around the yard.
Firefighters successfully extinguished the blaze and placed the battery in a tub of water to prevent it from reigniting.
No-one was injured in the incident.
Fire and Rescue NSW advises the owners of micromobility devices such as e-bikes, e-scooters and e-skateboards to adhere to safe charging practices including:
- Don’t leave devices charging in bedrooms or on beds, sofas or around highly flammable materials
- Try to charge devices outside if possible
- Always buy reputable lithium-ion battery brands and never ‘mix and match’ components
- Beware of cheap, substandard lithium-ion battery-powered devices
- Avoid dropping, crushing or piercing battery cells
- If lithium-ion batteries are damaged or compromised, dispose of them properly
- Don’t throw them out in the rubbish, they can start garbage truck or rubbish tip fires when compacted
- Contact your local, approved recycling centre for disposal advice
- Store batteries and devices in a cool, dry area, away from combustible materials
- Install active smoke alarms in your home/garage
- Ensure you have a home evacuation plan in the event of fire
For further information, visit the FRNSW website: https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/chargesafe [external link]
Media note – Video footage of the battery exploding is available here: https://vimeo.com/1026719384/171d65c71a?share=copy [external link]
Updated: 06 Nov 2024 12:16pm
Related safety topics
It's important that we all understand the risks of lithium-ion batteries and be prepared if things go wrong.
It“s the law to have at least one working smoke alarm installed on every level of your home.
Details about this incident may change and should not be used as emergency information and/or advice.
For all life threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000)
For flood information, warnings or requests for non-life threatening assistance, call the SES on 132 500 or visit the NSW State Emergency Service website here. [external link].
For information directly relating to bushfires please call the Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737 or visit the NSW Rural Fire Service Website here. [external link]
Stations nearby
263 Guildford Road, Guildford NSW 2161
340 Merrylands Road, Merrylands NSW 2160
198 Fairfield Road, Yennora NSW 2161