'Our home was destroyed by a lithium battery fire'

A woman who pulled her partner from the flames after a lithium battery exploded in his face has said she will never forget his screams of “save me” as fire destroyed their home in east London.

Joanne Davis, 45, suddenly heard a “loud bang” from the next room where her partner Ken Soko, 46, slept at their flat on Mizzen Street in Barking in the early hours of 3 October.

When the mother of two opened her door, she heard Ken shouting “Jo, save me” and she could see flames everywhere with sparks shooting out “like a firework” from his room.

After opening the door and pulling Ken from the flames of the room on the sixth floor, she called 999. About 60 firefighters attended along with police and paramedics and 50 people were led to safety.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said the fire was being treated as accidental.

It is believed to have been caused by the catastrophic failure of a lithium battery, which Ken was using to heat a hot tub he had made for their roof terrace and was being charged in his room when the fire occurred.

Fire chiefs described e-bike and e-scooter fires as the capital's fastest growing fire risk earlier this year.

Mr Soko suffered burns to his face and arms, his chest wall was damaged and the bottom of his lungs collapsed.

Ms Davis said: “The night of the explosion, the fire, is a night I will never forget.

“It all happened in minutes – from the noise and the piercing screams of Ken, screaming for me to save him because he thought he was going to die – in 10 minutes, everything changed our home forever.

“Our cats have been lost and we will never get over this.

“Right now, I am existing. I feel numb, empty and just lost without Ken.”

Her son Lewis has set up a fundraiser for his mother, who is arranging temporary accommodation with Barking and Dagenham Council, and Ken, who remains in hospital.

“He has opened his eyes a couple of times, but other than that, they’re keeping him pretty heavily sedated,” Lewis said.

Lewis, who like his mother works in retail, said the explosion had left the flat “covered in soot” – and along with the fire destroying the couple’s possessions, their cats Toby and Tilly, who were their “best friends”, were killed.

“Ken’s room is basically just a shell of a room. It’s all black and everything’s gone, it’s literally just a black room.

“Everything is just dark… there’s no colour in there at all.”

A spokesperson for landlord B&D Reside said: “Our thanks go to the emergency services and our thoughts are with those affected. Our team is working alongside partners to support the residents affected.

“We reiterate and support the fire brigade’s advice about the precautions needed in relation to lithium batteries.”

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