E-scooter battery believed to have caused house fire

An e-scooter battery is believed to have caused a house fire in Derby that left one person with serious injuries, an investigation has found.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was alerted to the blaze in Baseball Drive, Normanton, at 09:03 BST on Thursday.

One person was taken to hospital with injuries that were serious but not life-threatening, the service said, while several others were treated for minor injuries and smoke inhalation

The service added an investigation deemed the most likely cause of the fire was "accidental due to the failure of a lithium-ion battery within an e-scooter".

Crews from Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire were sent to the fire, which affected all three floors of the home.

The blaze caused significant damage to the property, with the fire also spreading into the loft space of neighbouring properties, the fire service added.

Fire crews left the scene at 14:58 and "handed over to the responsible housing provider".

A spokesperson for the service urged people to only charge e-bikes and e-scooters when they are awake, to avoid storing or charging them on escape routes or in communal areas, and to regularly inspect them for damage.

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