Cycling Trip Interrupted as E-Bikeโฃ Battery Smokes,Prompting Fire Brigade Call
Ermelo,Netherlands – โขA cyclist,identified as โGea,experienced a frightening incident while returning home from the Sinterklaas festivity in Ermelo โwhen the battery on โขher electric โขbicycle beganโค to smoke.
Gea recounted beingโข alerted by a couple whoโ warned her about the issue. “I thanked the people kindly andโค removed the battery on my โขframe withโ the key. I innocently threw it inโ my bag and wanted toโค continue cycling,” she โsaid. however, she quickly discovered this โขwasn’t possible as plumes of smoke emerged from the bag.
Unsure how to proceed,โ gea contacted her son,โ who is learnedโฃ about bicycles, and was advised to โขcall the fire brigade – not as anโ emergency. Following theโฃ operator’s instructions, sheโ placed the battery in a bucket of water, where it is required to โฃremainโ for 72 hours.
Theโ incident has left Gea puzzled,as her bicycleโฃ is less than two years old andโ still under โwarranty. Sheโ stated she alwaysโข uses the original charger and โคhas โคnever dropped or damaged the bike. “They had never seen โthis before,” Gea said of the bicycle shopโ in Ermelo, whereโข she purchasedโ the bike. She also noted sheโ had been unable to turn on theโ displayโฃ before her โride, suspectingโข the battery was low.
Gea shared her experiance to โwarnโ others โฃabout the potential dangers of batteries,โฃ even small ones. “We allโค know โขthe danger of batteries, and โฃevenโ if this is a small battery, theyโ canโ explode. So stayโข alert and call the fire brigade if in doubt.”
Gerard Holtkamp,โ fire service advisor โfor โthe Netherlands Fire Department, confirmed that batteries becoming unstable and burning โฃduring use is โaโค common occurrence, affecting โขitems likeโค bicycles, scooters, and toys. He emphasizedโฃ the importanceโ of contacting the fireโ brigade, even via the non-emergency numberโ (0900-0904)โข ifโฃ unsure of the situation’s urgency.
Holtkampโ explained that โฃimmersing the battery in water for 72 hours is an effective method for a fully charged battery toโ discharge and โprevent further fire risk. He cautioned against using sand or a fire blanket, as the battery needs to “degas” and release smoke, which would permeate theโ sand.โ He also warned that batteries can react unpredictably, potentially erupting in flamesโค and โขcausing seriousโค burns,โข highlighting โthe need โขfor a risk assessment with the fire brigade operator. The fire brigadeโข can also safely disconnect the battery from the bicycleโ if necessary before it is submerged.
This incident follows a separateโค event on a KLM flight from Sฤoโข Paulo to Amsterdam, where โaโข power bank caught fire.