Firefighters are calling on e-bike users to check their batteries after a house fire almost ended in tragedy.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue attended a fire at a house on Ecclesall Road in Sheffield on Sunday morning which was caused by an e-bike battery.

Five fire engines were called at 11.30am on Sunday 28 April and found the ground floor to be alight on arrival. Three hose reels and one main jet were used to extinguish the fire.

Five people managed to evacuate but three people were taken to hospital after sustaining injuries after jumping out of the first floor window.

The fire was caused by a failure of a lithium ion battery in an e-bike which was on charge alongside with six other e-bikes within the living room.

The ferocity at which lithium ion batteries, used to power e-bikes and e-scooters, burn and explode caused the fire to engulf all three floors of the house.

Fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters are a growing risk for South Yorkshire as 15 fires involving lithium ion batteries were recorded in 2023, almost double the number that occurred in 2022.

In March this year, a fire involving an e-bike and e-scooter caused significant damage to a house on Tawny Street, Barnsley whilst in May last year two men were lucky to escape with their lives after a fire involving multiple lithium ion batteries in a house in Sharrow Street, Sheffield.

That is why the service has today shared this story to launch its Charge Happy campaign aimed at increasing awareness of the fire risk posed by lithium ion batteries.

Ade Parkin, Group Manager at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said: “The people involved in these incidents are lucky to have escaped without serious injury.

“We know that e bikes and e scooters are growing in popularity and can be really beneficial in opening up cycling to people of all fitness levels, not to mention the obvious environmental benefits they bring in terms of reduced carbon emissions compared to other means of transport.

“That is why it is so important to only buy bikes from reputable supplier that show clearly that they meet UK/EU safety laws and only use the charger supplied with the battery.

“We’d also encourage owners of e bikes to think carefully about where you charge your vehicle and not block any escape routes.”

Safety tips for e-bike and e-scooter users

• Never block your escape route with anything, including e-bikes and e-scooters. Store them somewhere away from a main through route. Our advice is to store these items in a safe external location if possible, such as a garage or a shed.
• Always use the correct charger, otherwise the risk of fire increases, and buy an official one from a reputable seller.
• Do not attempt to modify or tamper with your battery. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Converting pedal bikes into e-bikes using DIY kits bought online can be very dangerous. They can pose a higher risk of fire. Get a professional or competent person to carry out the conversion and make sure to buy a battery from a reputable seller and that it is not second-hand.
• Check your battery and charger meets UK safety standards.  We have particular concern where batteries have been purchased from online marketplaces and when they’ve been sourced on the internet, which may not meet the correct safety standards.  Consumers buying any product can check that the item displays a UKCA or CE mark that ensures that the products meet UK and EU safety, health or environmental requirements. If buying online, buy from a UK supplier.

Watch out for signs that the battery or charger aren’t working as they should – e.g. if the battery is hot to the touch or has changed shape.

South Yorkshire’s fire service has won a national award for its response to a major wildfire, which crews spent 22 days tackling last year.

The fire affected a huge area of rare peat moorland, which is a site of special scientific interest and home to several rare species of animal and plants.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue won the Incident Management Award at CIR Magazine’s Business Continuity Awards 2021 for its work to coordinate the response to the incident, which involved 403 fire appliance movements across 523 hours in May and June 2020.

Area Manager Stewart Nicholson, said: “Responding to large scale incidents such as this isn’t simply about the work of our fantastic firefighters on the ground. It’s also about the coordination of activity behind the scenes, the implementation of plans for managing an incidents of this size and collaboration with our partners, including the local authority and Natural England. This award is fitting recognition for all of the efforts which went into managing the incident.

“Even during the early stages of the pandemic, our frontline crews remained ready, willing and able to respond to every 999 call they received- including major fires such as this one. Our response to this blaze right at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic is therefore also testament to the control measures we had in place and the diligence of our staff in following them.”

At the same awards, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s Emergency Planning Officer Russ Parramore won the Adviser of the Year Award for his work with the National Fire Chief’s Council’s business continuity committee.

Sprinklers retrofitted in a high-rise block of flats in Doncaster helped to save the lives of two people, fire chiefs say.

A chip pan caught fire in one of the flats at Hatfield House in the borough at around 5.10am on Friday (21 February).

But fire sprinklers activated and suppressed the blaze, saving the flat and two people who were asleep inside.

Damage to the flat was limited to minor smoke and water damage, whilst the occupants suffered minor smoke inhalation.

Doncaster, Edlington and Adwick firefighters attended the incident. They worked hard to alert the residents to the fire, lead them to safety and make the scene safe. They left the incident just before 7am.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Head of Emergency Response Andy Strelczenie, said: “This incident is another example of how fire sprinklers can be a cost effective way of making certain types of residential dwellings safer – they stop fires from spreading, put them out quickly, save lives and have a long working life span.

“We’re proud of the reputation we’ve built nationally as a leading fire and rescue service for our long standing advocacy of the benefits of fire sprinklers.”

Arturo Gulla, Director of Property Services at St Leger Homes, said: “We take fire safety and prevention in our buildings incredibly seriously, and this incident shows just how effective the sprinkler systems we installed with funding from Doncaster Council and the support of SYFRS are in reducing fire damage, and more importantly protecting the lives of people in our high-rise buildings.

“We have installed fully operational sprinkler systems in all nine of the high-rise buildings we manage across the borough, and we are proud to be one of the first housing organisations in the country to achieve this.

“Our best wishes go to the people affected by this fire and we will do everything we can to support them as they recover from this experience.”

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has provided more than £1 million in match-funding fire sprinkler projects over the last five years. The service spent the money fitting fire sprinklers in around 650 flats across the county in a bid to prompt owners of accommodation for mostly vulnerable residents to consider fire sprinklers as a long term measure to keep their tenants safe.

Fire sprinklers in residential buildings remain topical with the second phase of the Grenfell Tower inquiry now underway and a review of building fire safety regulations ongoing