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A ‘devastating’ house fire that killed a mother and her two children was most likely caused by a charging electric bike, it has emerged.
Gemma Germeney, 31, her son Oliver Peden, four, and daughter Lilly Peden, eight, died after the blaze at the family’s two-storey maisonette in Cambridge on Friday.
A man in his 30s who escaped the burning building and remains in a critical condition in hospital is believed to be Ms Germeny’s partner Scott Peden.
Mr Peden, the father of the two children, has been branded a ‘hero’ after neighbours said he tried to rescue his family when the fire broke out at around 1am.
Following an investigation, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue today said it had concluded that ‘the most probable cause was an e-bike that was charging.’
Gemma Germeney (left), 31, her daughter Lilly Peden (bottom right), eight, and her son Oliver Peden (bottom left), four, were all killed in the fire. The man believed to be her partner, Scott Peden (back right) is fighting for his life
Lilly and Oliver both died in hospital following the house fire last week
The force’s Area Commander Stuart Smith said: ‘Fire service and specialist fire investigators, together with police forensic teams and a fire dog, have spent the weekend carrying out a thorough investigation of the maisonette.
‘A fire investigation looks for the most probable cause and in this case, we believe that to be an electric bike that was charging.
‘We know e-bikes and e-scooters are popular modes of personal transport at the moment and we are urging anyone with one to be aware of the potential risks and follow simple precautions to reduce the likelihood of the batteries overheating.’
The two family dogs are also said to have perished in the inferno.
It comes after experts last month issued a warning over buying cheap electric bikes or scooters online, as well as cheaper chargers.
In the first five months of 2023 alone, the London Fire Brigade has on average been called out to a fire caused by overheating lithium batteries once every two days.
Since 2020, at least eight people are believed to have died from fires caused by electric bikes and scooters, while more than 190 have been injured.
In January, an e-bike left charging overnight ignited at the home of Rab Shearer, 60, in Litherland, Merseyside. Mr Shearer was killed in the blaze while his son Gary, 23, died in hospital two weeks later after trying in vain to save him.
On New Year’s Day, Sofia Duarte, 21, was asleep at her home in Old Kent Road, south London, when a modified electric bike in her flat exploded.
The ‘fun-loving’ daughter of Portuguese immigrants, who enjoyed dancing, spending time with friends and travelling, is believed to be the first person to be killed in London due to an e-bike fire.
Giuseppe Capanna, a product safety engineer at electricalsafetyfirst, has been investigating the spate of e-vehicle fires across the UK.
He told MailOnline: ‘With e-vehicles people can easily buy them from online retailers and be completely unaware they don’t meet any of the safety standards.’
It is not yet known what type of e-bike was inside the Germeney-Peden household at the time of the fire last Friday.
Locals described hearing screams as flames burst out of the windows of the family’s maisonette (pictured) in Sackville Close, in the King’s Hedges area of Cambridge
Neighbours described Ms Germeney as having a ‘heart of gold’
A police scientific support unit van was among the emergency vehicles at the scene on Friday
Mr Capanna added: ‘If it’s a substandard scooter/bike the battery can be damaged easily which means it’s more likely to catch fire. They hold an enormous amount of energy in a very small space and they’re separated by a very thin layer that keeps the two things apart. If you crush or pierce one of these batteries they just explode.
‘Imagine a dam with a reservoir. It’s holding back all that water and is useful as long as you can control it. If that wall collapses it’s pandemonium. It’s the same with the batteries, as long as the electricity comes through in a controlled manner it isn’t an issue.
‘If that’s breached you’ll have an explosion. That can happen either by damage to the battery or overcharging, which can happen if you use an incompatible charger.
‘When they catch fire you’re in trouble as they burn at around 600C and even higher than that. They’re glowing red hot and they melt everything around them. The chemical reaction in the battery creates its own oxygen which makes them very hard to put out.’
It comes as neighbours have been paying tribute to the Germeney family, with one resident named Debbi telling the Sun: ‘Gemma loved her kids to bits, she was a devoted mum and she had a heart of gold.
‘We heard that her partner Scott had tried to rescue them all when the fire broke out in the middle of the night. He was a hero, but he couldn’t save them.’
Ms Germeney died at the scene, while her two young children passed away later in hospital.
Gemma Germeney (left) and her eight-year-old daughter Lilly Peden (right) who traigcally died along with four-year-old Oliver
More than 30 firefighters rushed to a flat in King’s Hedges ward, Cambridge, at 1.08am
Locals described hearing screams as flames burst out of the windows of the family’s home on Sackville Close, in the King’s Hedges area.
A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: ‘I was woken up by what I thought was a car alarm, but it must have been a smoke alarm going off.
‘Then I heard a lot of shouting and commotion. A man’s voice was yelling, “Call the fire brigade” and “call an ambulance”.
‘There was smoke billowing everywhere and I could see flames, and hear the sounds of windows smashing.
‘The first two fire engines arrived within a few minutes and they quickly got the fire under control.
‘I didn’t realise how serious it was until I saw some stretchers being wheeled out. It was absolutely horrific.
‘I think there was a child on one of the stretchers and they were receiving CPR.’
Around 30 firefighters which included crews from Cambridge, Cottenham, Cambourne, Linton, Burwell and Huntingdon were all involved in helping tackle the flames.
The alarm was raised as the fire took hold shortly after 1am on Friday, but details of the fatalities were only released on Saturday.
The walls of property have been left charred black, and the windows smashed, as a result of the intense heat and smoke.
Despite fire crews battling to stop the fire from spreading to adjoining properties, a child from a neighbouring home was also taken to hospital.
A cordon remained in place over the weekend as emergency services attempted to establish the cause of the blaze
The young children were rescued from the blaze but both later died in hospital
It is believed that the youngster was suffering from smoke inhalation, but was not seriously hurt.
Another neighbour who asked to stay anonymous said: ‘I was woken up by screaming just after 1am and I thought it was someone having an argument.
‘A few minutes later, I was woken up properly by fire engines turning up. I looked out of my window and saw flames everywhere. They were coming out of the ground floor window and going up the wall.
‘The ambulances could not get near because of all the fire engines. I saw the stretchers being wheeled past to get to the ambulances, and a policeman carrying a child who looked like a boy.
‘There were loads of fire engines, two ambulances and police cars. It was just mayhem. I had never seen so many people out there.’
Data analyst Peter Griffin, 30, who lives nearby said: ‘I was woken up by the first fire engine – but our neighbour said he heard shouting before that.
‘There are trees between our house and the maisonette. I could see the orange glow of the fire. There was also an acrid smell of smoke… It is just an awful tragedy.’
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