Christmas present left home engulfed by flames as dad warns others how to avoid similar fate
Andrew Beaton's home was gutted by the devastating fire
Andrew Beaton's home was gutted by the devastating fire
A dad who lost all his belongings after a Christmas gift for his son went up in a blaze has issued a warning to others.
Andrew Beaton's house went up in flames after an e-bike he bought for his 12-year-old son caught fire.
The bike caught alight overnight, setting the stairs of the house on ablaze while the family slept.
With flames engulfing the property, Beaton says that him and his family were lucky to make it out alive.
"If it wasn’t for my other son Connor going downstairs at 4am to get a drink of water I doubt we would all be here now," he told the Metro.
"I was frantically woken up by him after he spotted the bike catching on fire, I went to throw it outside but instead all the batteries fell out onto the floor.
"It sounded like rockets were going off, and my feet and face were completely blistered because they exploded right onto me."
The fire was started after a battery inside the e-bike "exploded like fireworks".
The family lost all their personal items in the blaze
Family photos, inherited jewellery from loved ones and other personal items were all lost in the fire.
The bike caught fire just six months after purchase, with the family still yet to move back into their home.
Beaton blamed the poor quality of the e-bike he bought, admitting that he had made the purchase online.
He's now urged others to make sure they buy similar products from reputable outlets.
"There needs to be more regulation over the selling of these batteries – I actually bought the e-bike to stop my son from using his e-scooter which I thought was too dangerous," he said.
Lesley Rudd, chief executive of Electrical Safety First said: "Many households have struggled in yet another year of financial pressure and are desperately seeking to keep the cost of Christmas down.
"But their scramble for air fryers and other must-have electronics this year could leave them vulnerable, with ruthless sellers on online marketplaces looking to cash in on Christmas at the expense of shoppers’ safety."