Battery-linked electrical event caused fatal Bootle fire

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said an electrical event involving a lithium-ion battery caused the Bootle house fire that killed Elisha Brabin, 36, and her three children. The service said the battery entered thermal runaway, a process in which heat builds faster than it can dissipate and can lead to ignition. Investigators from the fire service and Merseyside Police reached that conclusion after a joint inquiry. Brabin’s children, Leo, 16, Ellis, eight, and Prudence, seven, also died in the blaze at their home on Stone Square. A fifth person was taken to hospital with burns. Fire crews were called to the semi-detached property at about 3:45 a.m. on September 22, when it was reported to be well alight. Four people were found upstairs with no signs of life and were declared dead at the scene, according to the reports. The battery’s appliance or use has not been identified. The fire service said lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in e-bikes and e-scooters, but has not confirmed that either type of device was involved in this fire.