A mother and her three children died in a house fire in Bootle, Merseyside, after an electrical event caused a lithium-ion battery to overheat uncontrollably, investigators said. The fire service said the blaze spread with such speed and intensity that firefighters could not save them; a fifth person was taken to hospital with burns.

Elisha Brabin, 36, and her children Leo, 16, Ellis, eight, and Prudence, seven, were found in an upstairs bedroom after crews were called at about 3.45am on 22 September. Officials have not said what the battery was powering, though lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in e-bikes and e-scooters. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service reported 150 battery-related fires between April 2023 and August 2026, with five associated deaths, and urged people to use approved batteries and chargers and stop using batteries showing signs of failure.