A London community has been devastated by the death of a dad who died in a brutal house fire. The inferno was said to have started when an e-bike’s lithium battery pack failed and caught fire.
The man is yet to be named and lost his life weeks following another e-bike related fire that killed a woman and two young children.
The blaze is believed to have started when the electric vehicle was charging overnight. Firefighters scrambled to the home in Woodyard Close, Kentish Town, London after getting several emergency calls just prior to 7am.
Firefighters battled the blaze for two-and-a-half hours to bring it under control.
In all, it took ten fire engines and approximately 70 firefighters to try to quell the flames and rescue the man inside. Tragically he 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 went on: “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.”
An LFB spokesperson said: “Sadly, a man has died following a flat fire on Woodyard Close in Kentish Town. Most of the ground and first floors of a mid-terraced house converted into flats were alight.
“Five people left the building before the fire crews arrived. Firefighters found a man on the ground floor of the property, who was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. The Brigade’s 999 control officers took 13 calls to the blaze.
“The brigade was called at 6.56am and the fire was under control by 9.22am. Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters from Kentish Town, Euston, Hornsey, Soho and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.
“Our fire investigators believe the most probable cause of the fire is due to a lithium battery pack failure, that was charging an e-bike.”
Unsurprisingly, surrounding properties felt the effects of the fire too. The Residents Association has provided the six impacted houses £500 each to help pay for repairs.
The family that lost their home to the vicious inferno is now living with relatives, it is understood.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist the family with the costs of rebuilding their lives. So far, £670 has been raised en route to the £2000 target.
Mr Corrol said: “Me, if I had four and a half grand, I would have given it to them personally.”
You can donate to the fundraiser here.
