Apartment complex is evacuated near Sydney’s CBD after fire erupts at e-bike store
An apartment complex was evacuated in the early morning hours after a fire broke out in an e-bike rental shop.
About 50 residents were evacuated from the three-storey Axis Apartments in Chippendale, Sydney, about 12.45pm on Sunday.
Emergency services were called to the Shepherd Street store, where they forced open a roller door and found a large lithium battery smoldering inside.
Fire and Rescue NSW Inspector Bryce Jonas said crews quickly located the e-bike sales and repair shop on the ground floor.
“We struggled to find the source of the fire, but after a bit of perseverance we managed to find a smoldering e-bike battery at the back of the store,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
An apartment complex was evacuated in the early hours of the morning after a dangerous fire broke out at an e-bike rental shop
About 50 residents were evacuated from the three-storey Axis Apartments building in inner-city Sydney at around 12.45pm on Sunday
“They produce a lot of smoke and gas, so we’re going to put that in the bucket of water for 24 to 48 hours.”
About thirty residents left alone with firefighters and breathing apparatus and went upstairs to evacuate the rest.
Nathanial and his two daughters, who slept through the evacuation alarm, opened just as they were rescued.
“We were sleeping in the apartment building and were woken by the fire brigade knocking on the door to evacuate and then we came out,” he said.
“When we woke up, we kind of knew what was going on… the apartment was pretty smoky.”
According to Fire and Rescue NSW, there have already been 63 lithium-ion battery fires in 2024 – or 5.7 per week.
Many residents are furious that a store that charges lithium batteries was allowed to operate under a residential block.
‘[E-bikes are] Good for the environment, but you have to think about your neighbors,” says a resident, who prefers to remain anonymous.
Another added: ‘It’s so dangerous, I don’t feel safe right now. How is this allowed?’
Jackie McPartland, a German tourist staying with her partner, said they had only arrived in Australia four days earlier
Jackie McPartland, a German tourist staying with her partner, said they had only arrived in Australia four days earlier.
“We’re flying to Uluru very early tomorrow morning, so hopefully we’ll be back to bed soon,” she said.
‘We actually only looked at the back once and realized there was some smoke, so we grabbed the keys and a bag and went straight out.
“We won’t get much sleep, but no one is hurt and that’s the most important thing.”
No injuries have been reported.
The cause of the fire is being investigated.