A South London borough had the highest number of e-scooter and e-bike battery fires within residential properties in the capital in 2025, a London Fire Brigade (LFB) Station Commander has revealed.
St Cdr Mike Watts, who is based at Forest Hill Fire Station, said 20 incidents were “positively identified” as e-scooter and e-bike fires starting in homes in Lewisham last year.
He told Lewisham Council’s Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee on Thursday (July 2): “Since late 2024, there have been at least five high-profile incidents with multiple serious injuries, and unfortunately including a fatality of a 12-year-old boy within the borough.
“We are looking to raise awareness within the borough around the safe charging, safe storage, and safe use of e-scooter and e-bikes.”
It’s understood the incident Stn Cdr Watts was referring to is Fabian Henry, 12, who died after a fire broke out at his home in Orchard Gardens in Lewisham shortly before midnight on July 8, 2025.
St Cdr Watts went on to some say e-scooters and e-bikes in high-rise properties are being charged in communal areas because residents can use the power points for free and won’t be charged on their individual meters. Adapted vehicles and the use of the wrong chargers have led to fires, with hot jets of flames shooting of out scooters and bikes in some cases.
St Cdr Watts said LFB will launch a two-month campaign which is being supported by the council and will begin on July 20, which aims to raise awareness over e-scooter and e-bike fires and reduce deaths and serious injuries within the borough.
The campaign will pop up in educational settings, across social media and the council’s website as well as events which will be held at Lewisham, Deptford and Catford markets.
LFB is also looking at hosting informative ‘drop-in days’ for residents at fire stations across Lewisham and within the council’s Town Hall.
Later on in the meeting, Cllr Kim Powell asked whether the LFB had identified any hotspots in the borough for the fires.
St Cdr Watts said fires involving e-scooters and e-bikes were spread out across the borough in 2025, but he did say data shows incidents occurring more in high-rise residential premises and social housing.
Towards the end of the discussion, St Cdr Watts issued some safety and storage advice for owners of e-scooters and e-bikes.
He said: “Only buy and use e-bikes and e-scooters from recognised sellers, make sure they’re e-marked [and they have] appropriate chargers for the batteries on the bike or the scooter that you’re using.
“Don’t charge these in your hallways, always make sure there is one door separation between where you are and your escape route should there be a fire.
“Make sure you’ve got heat alarms rather than just smoke alarms in the room where the bikes are being charged and don’t charge them overnight when you’re asleep or when you’re not in the property.”
