A community has been rocked after a dad died in a devastating house fire said to have been started when the lithium battery pack charging an e-bike failed and caught alight.
The man, who has not yet been named, lost his life weeks after a flat fire that killed a woman and two young children, which was also believed to have started when the vehicle was charging overnight. Firefighters rushed to the home in Woodyard Close, Kentish Town, London after receiving a dozen calls just before 7am.
The fire took two-and-half hours to bring it under control. The London Fire Brigade said the horrendous blaze looked ‘like a rocket hit the house and blew up’. Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters attempted to rescue the man and extinguish the flames.
Bu the fire completely destroyed thew family’s house and the man couldn’t be saved. Billy Corrol, Chairman of the Tenants and Residents Association in Woodyard Close, told MyLondon: “Everyone in the community is totally devastated. When you see it, it’s like a rocket has just hit a house and blew up. That’s the damage it’s caused. That house is totally gone.”He added: “It’s such a shock, especially for the family’s children. I think they actually saw the fire so that’s something that will be in their minds for the rest of their lives, seeing their house go up.”
