A London family has been left homeless after a devastating fire, believed to have been caused by an e-scooter battery, tore through their home of 25 years. While grateful to have escaped with their lives, they have lost everything, including their beloved pet dog.
The blaze broke out at around 10:30am on Monday at a house on Barlow Road in West Hampstead, Camden. Fortunately, Bernadette, 43, and her two children, Tyrone, 20, and Lashana, 16, were not at home when the fire started. However, their dog, Tuffy, who had been a loyal companion to Lashana, tragically perished in the flames.
London Fire Brigade has confirmed that the fire was caused by an e-scooter battery, which burst into flames while charging. It took eight fire engines and 60 firefighters to bring the blaze under control. The damage was catastrophic, leaving Bernadette and her daughter relying on the generosity of a family friend while they wait for Camden Council to arrange temporary accommodation.
Reflecting on their loss, Bernadette told the Evening Standard: “We have seen better days. We have lost absolutely everything, but we have our lives.”
Her daughter, however, is struggling to come to terms with the tragedy, particularly the loss of Tuffy. “My daughter is very upset, she’s lost her dog and her companion,” Bernadette said. Despite the turmoil, Lashana has returned to college, attempting to maintain a sense of normality.
Bernadette described the moment she saw the devastation: “We are not 100 per cent sure what happened, but the house went up like a match.”
Among the irreplaceable items lost were sentimental possessions, including watches, rings, school certificates, and childhood teddies. But Bernadette’s biggest concern is for her daughter, who is facing a crucial academic year without the security of her own space.
“Lashana is doing GCSE art and design in college, so all her sketches were in the room, and now it doesn’t look anything like a room anymore,” she explained.
The fire has left Lashana deeply unsettled. “She finds it very hard to stay in other people’s homes. This morning she was asking me, ‘When are we going?’ but I don’t know when that will be,” Bernadette said. “She keeps thinking about everything she’s lost—her trainers, her driving licence, her ID—but I keep reminding her that she has her life.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up by a friend to support the family, with over £1,100 raised so far.
Recalling the horrific events of that day, Bernadette admitted: “It was dramatic and very upsetting. Bringing my dog out and trying to resuscitate her—that stuck in my head. It was a really traumatic experience. She was a rescue dog and she was very nervous, and I was just imagining what that must’ve been like for her.”
The fire in West Hampstead was not an isolated incident. Just 16 hours later, another blaze—also caused by a battery pack—engulfed a home on Bridlepath Way in Feltham. Six fire engines and 40 firefighters responded, but by the time they arrived, the flames had already spread across most of the property.
London Fire Brigade issued a warning on Wednesday about the rising danger of e-bikes and e-scooters, which have become one of the capital’s fastest-growing fire risks. In 2023 alone, 171 incidents were reported, averaging one every other day.
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Bernadette expressed her frustration, revealing that she had only purchased the e-scooter three months ago.
“If it was that, then it was a faulty product that I was sold. It’s literally a bomb. If they are selling these things for £40 and people are going home and plugging them in and they’re doing that, it’s just madness.”
She criticised the lack of information given to buyers: “In the shops, they don’t give you much information. They just tell you to wear a helmet and to be safe. They don’t give you any information on how to charge them.”
Now, she believes e-scooters should never be charged indoors and insists she will never buy another.
“I bought the e-scooter for our mental health, but I never would have brought it into my home if I had known. I will never get another one. It has traumatised me.”
Her stepfather, Mike, said the fire had had a devastating impact on the family.
“They’ve lost everything. They’re just completely shaken up. Bernadette is holding together very well,” he said.
He also spoke of the heartbreak over Tuffy’s death. “The dog had been with them for eight years, ever since Lashana was young.”
As the number of battery-related fires continues to rise, London Fire Brigade is urging people to take extreme caution when charging e-bikes and e-scooters at home. Experts are calling for tighter regulations on battery safety, warning that without intervention, more families could face similar tragedies.
