Bootle house fire that killed mum and three children caused by charging e-scooter battery

Bootle house fire that killed mum and three children caused by charging e-scooter battery Elisha Brabin, 36, died alongside her children Leo Brabin, 16, Ellis Brabin, eight, and Prudence Brabin, seven, when the lithium-ion battery caught alight An e-scooter battery that was on charge has been identified as the cause of a house fire that tragically killed a mother and her three children. Elisha Brabin, 36, died alongside her children Leo Brabin, 16, Ellis Brabin, eight, and Prudence Brabin, seven, in the blaze at around 3.45am on September 20. The semi-detached house was "well alight" when emergency services arrived to Stone Square in Bootle, Merseyside. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said four people were found with no signs of life in an upstairs bedroom while a fifth person - Ms Brabin's partner - was taken to hospital with burns. The fire service has now confirmed that the lithium-ion battery that led to the fatal fire was for an e-scooter and that it was on charge at the time. This was established following a joint investigation between the fire service and Merseyside Police. The cause of the fire was determined to be an "electrical event", causing a lithium-ion battery to go into thermal runaway - a chain reaction causing a rapid spike in temperature, resulting in fire. The family of Elisha, Leo, Ellis and Prudence said: "Elisha was our beloved daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunty, niece and cousin. She was a devoted and loving mother who lived for her children. They were her whole world, and she meant everything to us. "Our beautiful babies, Leo, Ellis and Prudence, were loved beyond measure and brought so much joy, happiness and love to our family. They filled our lives with laughter and precious memories that we will cherish forever." Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service head of prevention, Kev Johnson, said: "This tragedy highlights the very real risks posed by lithium-ion batteries, which we confirmed as the source of the fire. We’re urging people to follow the manufacturer’s instructions, only using batteries and chargers which have been supplied with the vehicle or approved by the manufacturer, as anything else can pose a huge fire risk."