E-bike battery triggers apartment fire: Warning against charging in the home
A flat in Berlin has burnt out after an e-bike battery caught fire. Fire departments have been warning people about the store in the apartment for a long time.
(Image: KarolGajewski/Shutterstock.com)
After a defective e-bike battery caused a house fire in Berlin, the local fire department has once again pointed out that such devices should never be charged in the home and certainly not at night or without supervision. The news agency dpa quotes a spokesperson from the Berlin fire department after the fire in the Fennpfuhl district. An apartment there had gone up in flames, and a total of 62 firefighters had to tackle the blaze. Such operations against fires caused by batteries that have caught fire are becoming more and more frequent, the spokesperson said.
Check again and again when charging
The Berlin fire department is thus repeating a warning that has been issued time and again. The reason for this is similar fires in homes, basements or tool sheds, of which there is now an example somewhere in Germany every few days, due to the growing popularity of e-bikes. Just a few weeks ago, the city of Wilhelmshaven therefore compiled detailed tips on the safe handling of e-bike batteries. The professional fire department there also advises against unattended charging, and also recommends doing this on a balcony if possible. Under no circumstances should the appliance be plugged into the socket in escape routes, for example in the stairwell. You should not attempt to extinguish a possible fire yourself.
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On Tuesday night, an apartment on the 13th floor of a hall of residence in the Berlin district of Fennpfuhl in Lichtenberg caught fire. According to the fire department, the fire spread rapidly from the faulty battery. However, the flames were quickly brought under control and extinguished. Six people were cared for by the emergency services on site, no one was injured. According to the Berliner Zeitung, the burnt-out apartment is no longer habitable, and the police have begun an investigation.
(mho)
