Media Release from Greenwich Fire:
Greenwich Firefighters responded to a house fire on Deep Hollow Rd in White Rock Sunday evening
shortly after 5pm. Arriving fire crews found that the homeowners had extinguished the majority of the fire prior to their arrival, however two of the home’s three occupants had suffered smoke inhalation in the process.
Through investigation firefighters learned that the fire started when an e-bike that was being charged in the basement of the home went into thermal runaway causing a fire that spread beyond the bike into the ceiling above. One of the home’s occupants heard the bike’s batteries exploding and proceeded to the basement where they located the fire and removed the burning e-bike from the home using an exterior basement door.
Firefighters remained on scene for approximately ninety minutes ensuring the fire was fully extinguished and ventilating smoke from the residence. An adult male and female were both transported to Valley Regional Hospital by EHS for further assessment.
While the actions of the homeowner’s no doubt prevented further damage, firefighters do not recommend attempting to remove burning items from their homes, “Our advice during a fire is to get out immediately, call 911 and stay out” says Greenwich Fire Chief Jason Ripley. The occupants of the home indicated that their efforts to contact the fire department were initially hampered by poor cell phone reception in the area that delayed being able to contact emergency services.
Fires involving lithium-ion batteries like those being used in electric bikes and scooters are becoming more common and firefighters advise against charging these devices inside their homes. “Folks with these devices should always ensure they are charged away from combustible materials and should ensure they are present during charging” according to Ripley.
Fire damage was contained to the basement of the home, with smoke damage throughout the remainder of the building. Following consultation with the Nova Scotia Office of the Fire Marshal, fire investigators are listing the cause of the fire as accidental.
