Passer-by helps save home from fire sparked by ‘faulty’ e-scooter battery

A passer-by has helped save a home from destruction after an e-scooter battery “spontaneously” caught ablaze in the NSW Riverina region.

The man was driving past when the lithium-ion battery combusted, setting fire to a storeroom in the Temora home about 9am on Monday.

The family friend stopped his car and ran to the front door to warn the resident before the pair together attacked the blaze with garden hoses.

Fire and Rescue NSW crews rushed to the suburban property soon after and were able to extinguish the blaze and several spot fires.

Emergency services also treated three people at the home for minor smoke inhalation, including the two men who fought the blaze.

FRNSW Deputy Captain Grant Reid said firefighters discovered the alarming source of the fire as they were clearing the storeroom.

“It appears the battery ignited spontaneously (…) it wasn’t being charged,” Mr Reid said.

“Had the fire broken out in the middle of the night, this could have ended tragically.”

Firefighters believe the fire was caused by a battery in one of two e-scooters inside the home.

The fire comes as a stark reminder for Australians of the safety of e-scooters, which are becoming increasingly popular.

In June, a Sydney family were trapped on the balcony of their apartment after an e-scooter caught alight near the entryway.

Only months earlier, residents of a separate apartment building in the city’s southwest were forced to evacuate because of an e-scooter fire.

A Current Affair reported earlier this year that as many as 450 fires hade been linked to the batteries in the past 18 months.

Firefighters urge owners not to overcharge batteries, especially overnight or when unattended, and to use only reputable, compliant equipment