Residents evacuated from high rise apartment block during weekend e-bike fire - Wolli Creek
Published: 23 Oct 2023 10:47am
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) investigators believe a faulty Lithium-Ion battery was responsible for a weekend e-bike fire that led to the evacuation of 30 people from a high-rise apartment block at Wolli Creek in Sydney's south.
The blaze broke out just after 6pm on Saturday night in a seventh floor apartment within the Arcliffe Street complex.
Residents rushed from their units to safety after the e-bike, on charge, burst into flames, setting fire to a bed.
A 30-year-old woman was treated for smoke inhalation by NSW Ambulance paramedics.
FRNSW crews from Arncliffe and Marrickville were quickly on the scene and extinguished the fire.
FRNSW urges extreme caution when charging Lithium-Ion batteries:
- Never sleep or leave home with your Lithium-battery-powered devices charging
- Don’t leave them constantly on charge
- If Lithium batteries are damaged or compromised, dispose of them properly
- Don’t throw them out in the rubbish, they can start garbage truck or rubbish tip fires
- Contact your local, approved recycling centre for disposal advice
- Don’t leave devices charging on beds, sofas or around highly flammable materials
- Try to charge devices outside if possible
- Always buy reputable Lithium-battery brands and never ‘mix and match’ components
- Beware of cheap, substandard Lithium battery-powered devices
- Avoid dropping, crushing or piercing battery cells
- Store batteries and devices in a cool, dry area, away from combustible materials
- Install active smoke alarms in your home/garage
- Ensure you have a home evacuation plan in the event of fire
Media note: FRNSW footage of the fire scene is available here: https://vimeo.com/876944579/8d002e819a?share=copy [external link]
Updated: 23 Oct 2023 10:51am
Related safety topics
It's important that we all understand the risks of lithium-ion batteries and be prepared if things go wrong.
It“s the law to have at least one working smoke alarm installed on every level of your home.
Details about this incident may change and should not be used as emergency information and/or advice.
For all life threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000)
For flood information, warnings or requests for non-life threatening assistance, call the SES on 132 500 or visit the NSW State Emergency Service website here. [external link].
For information directly relating to bushfires please call the Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737 or visit the NSW Rural Fire Service Website here. [external link]