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Surrey E-Bike Store Gutted in Six-Hour Lithium Battery Blaze

Officials investigating the blaze’s origin at the gutted store are working to determine what triggered the battery fire.

Motorized bicycles are parked while delivery workers take a break in New York, Tuesday, July 25, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Seth Wenig
File photo of a Surrey Fire Service crew.
The aftermath of a fire that destroyed an e-bike shop in Surrey on Saturday night.

Overview

  • The June 29 fire at EV Revolution in Surrey’s Whalley neighbourhood gutted the e-bike shop and damaged two neighbouring businesses.
  • Thirty-six firefighters and 12 trucks spent about six hours battling the blaze before declaring it contained around 1 a.m. on June 30.
  • Crews shifted from an interior attack to an exterior defensive strategy when lithium-ion batteries underwent thermal runaway, producing intense flames and thick smoke.
  • No civilian injuries were reported, though one firefighter was treated on scene for heat exhaustion.
  • With the cause still under investigation, authorities have dispatched a fire inspector and are urging safer e-bike battery charging and storage practices in response to a rise in similar blazes across British Columbia.