A couple and their dogs died in a Coventry house fire caused by a faulty e-bike battery. Firefighters issue safety warnings.
Natasha Johnson-Mall, 27, and Karole Bogdan, 24, couldn’t escape. The fire raced through their home with great speed.
The e-bike was in their home’s corridor in Coventry. Its battery caught fire early on November 8th. Flames quickly spread all through the building. Firefighters say the fire went up to the bedroom quickly. An open door made it easy for the fire to spread.
Dell Haughton is a firefighter who saw the fire. He said it was one of the worst he had ever seen. He couldn’t see the house because of the thick smoke. The firefighter said the heat felt very intense.
Everything was on fire during the blaze. The steps, walls, ceiling, and doors burned quickly. He saw the dogs in the bedroom, which was very upsetting. He said it was one of the worst fires he’d seen.
An inquest ruled their deaths were an accident. The fire service released a video about e-bike safety. The couple could not escape the quickly spreading fire. Firefighters could not save them.
Natasha’s sister described her as a precious person. She said she would never look at life the same. She warned against buying untested e-bikes. E-bike fires have increased 50% in two years.
Richard Stanton urged people to be careful. He said Natasha’s and Karlo’s deaths were tragic. Their families hope others learn from this event. Rapid fires from lithium batteries pose a serious risk.
Fire safety experts say to take precautions. They said people should charge e-bikes when awake. Unplug them when fully charged and use the right charger. Be careful with e-bike conversion kits always.