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'An e-bike fire killed my sister in her home'

Joan Cummins
BBC Midlands Today
Gavin Kermack
BBC News, West Midlands
Family A young woman with long dark hair, wearing a black blouse, smiles at the camera.Family
Natasha Johnson-Mall was 27 when she died in a fire caused by an e-bike last November

"When you do come to realise that there's something wrong with your bike, it is going to be too late because we are talking about a very, very fast-developing fire that you will have not a chance to get past," says a sister in mourning.

Ehsia Johnson-Mall still struggles to come to terms with the loss of her sister, Natasha, at the age of 27 in November.

Natasha, along with her partner, 24-year-old Karlo Bogdan, died at the home they shared in Coventry after a battery Karlo had fitted to an e-bike caught fire.

Now, Ms Johnson-Mall is trying to raise awareness of the dangers of using home conversion kits to replace e-bike batteries.

A young woman with long black hair tied back tightly is looking at the camera. She is wearing a white top and a gold necklace and is standing in a room with blue walls.
Following her sister's death, Ehsia Johnson-Mall is aiming to raise awareness of the danger of fitting batteries to e-bikes at home

The deaths of the couple were ruled as accidental at an inquest in February.

An investigation by West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) said the blaze started when the battery ignited and "rapidly escalated into an intense blaze".

It said that over the past two years it had seen a 50% increase in fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, which are often found on e-bikes.

WMFS A room which has been gutted by a fire. The windows have been destroyed, as has the furniture. A Christmas tree is in the corner of the room.WMFS
The whole of Natasha and Karlo's home was badly damaged in the blaze

WMFS said it was concerned that people underestimated the dangers posed, especially if the batteries degrade.

"The battery that we believe Karlo had purchased was actually subject to a product recall before he'd actually purchased it due to… other fires that have happened nationally," said fire investigation officer Annette Carrington. "It's obvious that this risk was unknown to Karlo."

A woman with long dark curly hair is looking at the camera. She is wearing a navy blue polo shirt with a badge and logo reading "WEST MIDLANDS FIRE SERVICE".
Fire investigation officer Annette Carrington says people underestimate the risk posed by e-bike batteries

It is thought that nationally, 15 people have died in fires caused by e-bike batteries.

Ms Johnson-Mall believes the night the fire that killed her sister broke out was the first night the bike was left charging in the hall - and is determined to make people aware of the risks.

"I know Karlo would be absolutely devastated at himself," she said. "Knowing that he had an item that was his possession that had caused this fatality."

WMFS A young woman with dark hair tied back. She is wearing a pink sweater and is standing next to a young man with short dark hair and a dark beard, shaved on the cheeks. He is wearing a Christmas jumper that reads "I'M SEXY AND" with the rest of the caption cut off.WMFS
Natasha Johnson-Mall and Karlo Bogdan lived together in Coventry

A memorial bench has been placed outside Natasha and Karlo's home, but Ms Johnson-Mall wants her sister's legacy to be that no other lives are lost in the same way.

"The fact that we've got to sit on a bench with her name on it and not sit with her on a garden bench is just unfair beyond belief."

A close-up of a wooden bench. A photograph of a young man and a young woman has been attached to the backrest with a pink ribbon. There is a also a small memorial plaque.
A memorial bench has been placed outside Natasha and Karlo's home in Coventry

Ms Carrington agrees that people need to understand the dangers.

"Imagine 70 or 80 fireworks going off at one point," she explained. "I would never advise anyone to carry out their own conversion.

"Is a life worth the risk? I would say no."

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