Battery Fire Heavily Damages Historic Vancouver Island Bike Shop & Hostel

[Dave Rocks]

A late-night fire heavily damaged one of Vancouver Island’s most iconic mountain biking landmarks on August 16, gutting the interior of the historic Tarbell Building that houses Dodge City Cycles and the Riding Fool Accommodation.

following an official investigation, Cumberland Fire Rescue confirmed the fire was caused by a lithium battery. Fire officials reiterated safety warnings against leaving electric batteries charging unattended.

Full Story: fire-heavily-damages-a-historic-vancouver-island

 

[Art Deco]

That is the first time I've heard of that happening in a bike shop.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Dayum dudes... that is sad news indeed. Would love to hear the details on make/model of device that ignited...

 

[harryS]

In 2015, I bought my first bike from a shop in Madison, WI. They had a fire from a battery that winter and almost 100 ebikes were damaged.

 

[Cycologist]

I keep all my Lithium-Ion batteries in fire resistant battery bags and have fireproof blankets under my e-bike which has a non-removable battery.
Not sure how much that will help, but it can't hurt.

I never charge anything unless I'm home.

 

[Extreme1]

If you charge in the garage, put a couple smoke detectors on the ceiling. They are cheap insurance.

 

[PedalUma]

A RAD came in and I made him take the battery. I don't let any off brand bike batteries come in with names like Xhozi.

 

[Gordon71]

A RAD came in and I made him take the battery. I don't let any off brand bike batteries come in with names like Xhozi.

The Rad bike had a battery named Xhozi?

 

[PedalUma]

@Gordon71, I made up that name as an example. There are many hundreds of these cheap off brand bikes no one has ever heard of and cannot pronounce. I do not want their batteries anywhere near me.

 

[Gordon71]

@Gordon71, I made up that name as an example. There are many hundreds of these cheap off brand bikes no one has ever heard of and cannot pronounce. I do not want their batteries anywhere near me.

I never thought of Rad as a cheap off brand bike I guess. I also don't believe there is anything wrong with their batteries if they aren't abused, gotten wet, improperly charged etc. I've not had any problems with the ones I've been using for the past 6 years that have always been cool to the touch when being used or charged.

 

[PedalUma]

I never thought of Rad as a cheap off brand bike I guess. I also don't believe there is anything wrong with their batteries if they aren't abused, gotten wet, improperly charged etc. I've not had any problems with the ones I've been using for the past 6 years that have always been cool to the touch when being used or charged.

My understanding is that RAD had a bad batch that caused six homes to burn down. That is why they are no longer in business.

 

[Gordon71]

My understanding is that RAD had a bad batch that caused six homes to burn down. That is why they are no longer in business.

They seem to be still selling Ebikes. Guess my two batteries were not part of the "bad batch" then as they've been working fine for the past 6 years.

 

[PedalUma]

They seem to be still selling Ebikes. Guess my two batteries were not part of the "bad batch" then as they've been working fine for the past 6 years.

You can look up the serial numbers of the bad batch. Ask for AI assistance. There was bankruptcy and a re-org with a new owner to send away all the responsibility. Wolves in the wild will pull a tuft of fur, walking in to a mountain stream an inch at a time very slowly. The fleas will then inch up. The very last part to go in under water is the nose, while blowing bubbles, with all the fleas in the tuft of fur. Then they let it go down stream. That is what RAD did to its customers. And their responsability to make them whole.