Abbeydale Road: Another fire caused by charging battery at Sheffield home

Firefighters were called out to a Sheffield property tackle a blaze caused by a lithium-ion battery, just a fortnight after a home was destroyed by a fire that started in the same way.

The most recent house fire broke out at a property on Abbeydale Road, Sheffield last night (Monday, May 13, 2024), with three fire engines sent out to the blaze after the emergency services were contacted at around 6.46pm.

“The fire, which was partially extinguished before crews arrived, was caused by a lithium-ion battery pack which had been left to charge on the arm of a sofa and then ignited.

“Crews used one hose reel to damp down and and a ventilation fan to clear the smoke. The incident had been dealt with by 7.20pm,” a spokesperson for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue (SYFR) said.

It comes just two weeks after fire ripped through, and destroyed, a house on Ecclesall Road on Sunday, April 28, 2024.

Five people managed to evacuate but three people were taken to hospital after sustaining injuries after jumping out of the first floor window.

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The fire was caused by a failure of a lithium-ion battery in an e-bike which was on charge alongside six other e-bikes in the living room.

The ferocity at which lithium-ion batteries, used to power e-bikes and e-scooters, burn and explode caused the fire to engulf all three floors of the house.

SYFR appealed to the public to check their batteries after the blaze almost ended in tragedy, and are once again issuing a warning in the wake of the latest fire cased by a lithium-ion battery.

Speaking today (Tuesday, May 14, 2024), a SYFR spokesperson said: “Remember - check if your battery is overheating or out of shape; use the correct charger and don't leave electrical items on charge overnight.”