Electric bike battery believed to have caused fire on Cork's Barrack St; one person taken to hospital

Cork City Fire Brigade responded to an apartment fire on Barrack Street last night, suspected to have been caused by an electric bike battery that was being charged overnight.

Four units from the city fire brigade were called out to respond to a fire in apartments above O’Sho pub on Barrack Street at approximately 1am on Tuesday morning.

City Fire Brigade officials said that the fire was minor in nature, and that there was no serious damage or injuries.

A Garda spokesperson said that one occupant was brought to hospital for smoke inhalation.

While the cause of the fire has not been confirmed, it is suspected that the blaze was sparked by an electric bike battery left charging overnight in the residence.

The City Fire Brigade have reminded the public to ensure e-bikes meets current safety standards, and for people to check that they have a smoke alarm to alert them to a fire.

Victor Shine, Second Officer at Cork City Fire Brigade, said that electric devices of all kinds are becoming more prevalent in people’s lives, and so are the number of fires being caused by failing battery packs.

“The amount of electric powered equipment out there now, whether it be power tools or entertainment devices or transport devices, it’s just phenomenal, and we are going to be seeing more of these [fires]”, he said.

“It’s just about being cautious when they are being charged, and that they’re under supervision. When you’re going to go to sleep just plug it out, and only charge it when you’re present and can actually see what’s happening,” he added.

Mr Shine said that it is important to follow manufacturers guidelines at all times, and to be cautious about every device, no matter the quality.

“It doesn’t matter whether its high quality or low quality. Battery packs can fail no matter what kind of device you have, whether it’s a mobile phone or a laptop or even an electric car,” he said.