Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) responded swiftly to a large fire that engulfed a two-story e-bike factory in Croydon, Sydney’s inner west. The FRNSW deployed over 60 firefighters and 15 fire trucks to control the blaze on Elizabeth Street, where it began in a small building behind a row of shops shortly before 5 a.m. on Jan 5. The firefighters battled for over two hours to control the fire, attacking it from outside the e-bike factory due to concerns about its potential structural collapse.
Superintendent Joshua Turner expressed concerns about the potential dangers linked to lithium batteries and electricity storage units in the e-bike repair center. Understandably, lithium batteries maintain a high level of heat when they’re on fire. This can present challenges for firefighters, making it more difficult to put out the flames. As a result, the FRNSW is doing a lot of work to research lithium batteries and their effect on firefighting in the future.
Footage and photos capture the flames engulfing and scorching the e-bikes in the factory, while flames surged above the powerlines near the factory as firefighters fought to contain them. Firefighters remain at the scene, working to extinguish lingering hotspots, with support from crews in aerial fire trucks. NSW Police are also assisting and Elizabeth Street was shut between Frederick & Edwin Streets after the fire broke out and traffic was redirected away from the area. The incident follows a series of recent e-bike-related fires in NSW, including a fire at a hostel in which a lithium battery exploded and an inner-city basement-level studio apartment was saved from a faulty Li-ion e-bike battery explosion on October 16 at 11:20 am.