'Our bungalow caught fire from an e-bike battery'

A couple whose home was set ablaze when their recharging e-bike batteries caught fire has warned others to be aware of their dangers.

Christine and Neil Clayton, from Wigan in Greater Manchester, said they were woken in the early hours of the morning two years ago by their dog before noticing their bungalow was full of smoke.

They soon realised the batteries for their e-bikes, which had been charging while the couple were out all day and remained plugged in into the evening, had caught fire in their spare bedroom.

Mr Clayton, who was able put the fire out, said: "The room itself was red hot - you couldn't see anything with the smoke, it was just black."

The fire brigade arrived at their bungalow within minutes and gutted the room, while the couple were taken to hospital due to suspected smoke inhalation.

"[There] was light smoke damage through the house, but the bedroom was a complete write-off," Mr Clayton said.

The couple said they had been lucky it had not been even worse.

They were thankful no-one had been sleeping in the room at the time of the fire and that their dog had not been left home alone when it had broken out.

"It's all 'ifs' really, it was probably the worst 10 to 15 minutes we went through," Mrs Clayton said.

They said their story was a warning that even batteries purchased from reputable retailers - like theirs were - still posed a risk if left to charge unattended.

Mrs Clayton said while she was now more careful, she continued to use an e-bike.

"I'll charge [the batteries] but I won't leave them [unattended]. I'll make sure I'm here.

"And we've bought proper fireproof carriers now for the batteries and the chargers and they're always in that, I even charge them in that.

"If [e-bikes] are used in the right circumstances and they're charged in the right circumstances they're a brilliant addition to your lives."

Across the north-west of England, 54 e-bike fires were recorded last year across the Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service areas.

Greater Manchester recorded the highest number in the region, with 29 e-bike fires and 13 e-scooter fires in 2025, according to the figures obtained by the Press Association.

It was the second highest combined number of e-bike and e-scooter fires recorded in the UK after the London Fire Brigade, which recorded 171 e-bike fires and 35 e-scooter fires.

The figures, obtained following Freedom of Information requests, showed the total number of e-bike fires recorded in the UK in 2025 was 432 - a 38% increase on the previous 12 months.

Head of Prevention at Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service Karl Gibbons said a major risk factor for such fires were batteries purchased from non-reputable sources such as online marketplaces.

"A lot of the fires are caused by DIY conversion kits and batteries that aren't bought from an approved dealer," he explained.

"Buy a device from an approved reputable dealer. Look for UKCA or CE markings to show that that's been quality-checked in terms of the build."

Gibbons also stressed that batteries should never be left unattended while charging.

"You need to be awake and to be able to act if something does happen with the battery... although it's increasing, it isn't common," he added.

Last week the government published three consultations setting out plans to boost product safety in the UK.

One includes online marketplaces being legally required to "prevent, identify and remove dangerous products being sold via their platforms".

Additional reporting by PA

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