Welland Fire warns of serious blazes starting from off-brand e-bike batteries

Are off-brand and after-market batteries and chargers responsible for recent firethat sees owners watch their e-bikes go up in smoke?

The Welland Fire Department thinks so.

After extinguishing a blaze today (June 22) on a Welland sidewalk that left little more than the handlebars and frame intact afterwards, the fire department said that in the last 24 hours, both the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal and the National Fire Protection Association “have shared warnings about the increasing risk of fires started by e-bike batteries.”

The firefighters said witnesses told them that today’s e-bike fire “created a plume of smoke 200 feet high and caused involved small (equipment-related) explosions (on the three-wheeler).”

To that end, the Welland firefighters are asking e-bike operators “to never use off-brand or after-market batteries and chargers for your e-bikes. Always follow manufacturer instructions for charging, storing, and maintaining your e-bike battery.”