Wrong charger may have led to Cambridge e-bike fire, inquest hears
The court heard three people were "trapped on the first floor"
An inquest has heard a lithium battery failed - whilst fitted to a charging e-bike - causing a fatal explosion at a home in Cambridge.
A report by fire forensic specialists found the e-bike was plugged into a socket using what may have been the wrong charger.
Scott Peden lost his partner Gemma Germeney, and children, Oliver, Lilly and their two dogs at the time of the fire at their home in Sackville Close in June 2023.
Steve Fleming - assistant commander at Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service - told the inquest the two-storey maisonette was "well alight" when crews first arrived at around 12.15am.
'Explosions, people screaming'
The court heard that 999 calls made to fire control room staff included details of "explosions and people screaming", while witnesses were woken by "what they thought was a car alarm".
Mr Fleming said an e-bike was on charge in the ground floor hallway, which led to the fire.
He told the hearing that due to where the e-bike was charging, the main route to the hallway from the first floor "would have been compromised at an early stage.
Mr Fleming said because the escape route was blocked, "occupants were trapped on the first floor."
He said fire crews found one woman dead inside the home, while two children were rescued from the property.
Oliver and Lilly later died in hospital.
The inquest heard that several battery cells likely to have come from the e-bike were found under fallen debris in the main living room, which Mr Fleming said "provides evidence" the battery pack had failed.
Battery powered by 'non-compliant charger'
Coroner Elizabeth Gray told the court a report by fire forensic specialists found the likely cause of the blaze was a failed lithium-ion battery fitted to an e-bike that appeared to be plugged in and on charge.
"It's possible the cause of the fire may be related to the charging of the e-bike with a non-compliant charger," Ms Gray said.
The court previously heard Scott made two visits to get the e-bike battery repaired at a workshop run by Stoil Severinov, recommended by a work colleague after a previous battery was stolen.
Scott said he wanted to get the battery replaced quickly and because he had "nothing in the bank" for a full repair, Mr Severinov "offered to bypass the cells if I would come back in two weeks to buy the battery off him".
Mr Severinov denied this and told the court he has "never done anything like that in my life."
The inquest continues.