Sprinkler systems prove life-saving in several e-bike fires
Several recent incidents across the UK highlight the growing risk of fires cause by lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters and how quickly these fires can escalate and how critical sprinkler systems have become in preventing tragedies.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service (AFRS) recently reported a serious incident to BAFSA's Sprinkler Saves UK in which an e-bike caught fire in the hallway of a four-room flat, dangerously close to the main entrance. The blaze blocked the primary escape route, trapping ten occupants inside. Forced to seek refuge in another room, they were later rescued from the fourth floor by firefighters using an aerial ladder platform.
Fortunately, a single concealed sprinkler head located directly above the fire's origin activated, containing, controlling, and ultimately extinguishing the fire before AFRS crews arrived. While minor smoke inhalation injuries were reported, the situation could have been significantly worse without the presence of the sprinkler system.
This incident is not isolated.
In April 2023, a fire broke out in a retrofitted residential block of flats in Birmingham when a lithium-ion e-bike battery left charging in a hallway ignited. Once again, the fire compromised the flat’s primary escape route. The sprinkler system activated and extinguished the blaze, allowing the family to seek safety on an external balcony until firefighters rescued them. No injuries were reported.
A resident, quoted in a West Midlands Fire & Rescue Service (WMFRS) media release, credited the sprinkler system with saving her partner and child. “We couldn’t get out. We were on the tenth floor. It was too high. I can tell you for sure that the sprinklers saved our lives. It is brilliant they were installed in the first place,” she said.
Another example occurred in December 2024 in Gloucestershire, where a lithium battery in an e-bike caught fire inside a studio flat within a house of multiple occupancy. A single sprinkler head activated in the room of origin, fully extinguishing the fire before the fire service arrived. The resident was able to self-evacuate, and no injuries were reported.
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service Station Manager, Obi Selassie, emphasised the importance of sprinklers: “If it was not for the activation of the sprinkler system extinguishing the fire before the arrival of the fire service, we could be discussing a different outcome for this incident. The benefits of sprinklers should not be underestimated -they save lives and reduce injuries, and protect firefighters.”
While current sprinkler design standards do not specifically address lithium battery fires, these incidents reaffirm the value of sprinkler systems in containing and mitigating fires involving personal electric transport devices.
To read more on this and other examples of sprinklers protecting people, property and the environment from fire visit