E-bike battery sparks house fire in Red Deer's West Park
Four adults evacuated a Wigmore Close home Thursday night after a lithium-ion battery ignited, with one person hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
Why it matters
The incident highlights fire risks from lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes, a growing safety concern for households.
Red Deer Emergency Services responded to a significant house fire in the West Park area around 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Four adults inside the single-family detached home on Wigmore Close called 911 and got out safely, with one person taken to hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.
Investigators determined the fire started when a lithium-ion battery used to charge an e-bike combusted. Deputy Chief Matt White said the blaze was contained to the main floor of the one-storey home, which also has a basement, but smoke damage throughout the house is extensive, leaving it uninhabitable. The affected family has made alternate living arrangements.
White urged residents to only charge lithium-ion batteries with their original manufacturer-provided equipment and to avoid using batteries that have been altered in any way.
Separately, White said crews responded to another fire just after 7 a.m. Friday at Amethyst House, located across from the downtown Tim Hortons. The fire broke out in a second-floor unit of the building, which was vacated by residents earlier this summer after being closed by the Canadian Mental Health Association. Firefighters found no one inside and have not yet determined a cause.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.