A family raising seven children narrowly avoided disaster when a second-hand e-bike burst into flames and set their home ablaze.
The fire broke out just after midnight on Wednesday at a property on Harlow Avenue in Hebersham, to the west of Sydney, with the house rapidly consumed by fire in dramatic fashion. Dramatic footage captured the moment a fierce blaze ripped through the building while the nine family members scrambled outside, escaping with barely any time to spare.
People nearby said they heard a loud bang as the fire began, which was quickly followed by a series of explosions before the flames took hold of the entire structure. Despite the intensity of the fire, every one of the nine relatives got out without injury.
“I think we were all pretty lucky that nobody was hurt … lucky to get all the kids out,” a family member said.
The fire reduced the home to a blackened wreck, leaving the property completely gutted.
Investigators determined the fire was not suspicious, tracing its origin to a second-hand e-bike that exploded while it was on charge.
“There were flames coming out of the roof, the window and sides of the house,” Fire and Rescue NSW Acting Superintendent Peter Murray said. “It was a very intense fire.”
