Helen Hewitt of the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) discusses the need for developers to increase focus on fire door safety, against new risks like e-bikes.
The fire risks facing our homes and public buildings have evolved considerably over the last couple of decades. This is clearly demonstrated by the rapid growth and use of lithium-ion batteries, which power everything from smartphones and laptops to e-bikes, e-scooters and even garden tools.
While these devices bring undeniable convenience, they also introduce a new category of fire risk that spreads quickly and with devastating effect. For housebuilders, this trend cannot be ignored – homes designed and delivered today must not only meet today’s standards but also anticipate tomorrow’s risks, ensuring residents are protected in a changing fire safety landscape.
A fast moving fire risk
Across the UK, lithium-ion batteries are now implicated in one of the sharpest rises in fire incidents in recent history. In fact, a recent Freedom of Information request by QBE Insurance revealed a 93% rise in such fires between 2022 and 2024 with e-bikes and e-scooters among the most common causes.
Added to this, the British Woodworking Federation’s own research, conducted for Fire Door Safety Week 2025, found that:
- High perceived risk – e-bikes (45%) and e-scooters (47%) topped the list of lithium-ion battery powered items most likely to be seen as a fire hazard, ahead of vapes (38%) and electric vehicles (36%).
- Increasing fire risk fear – over half (59%) of e-bike and e-scooter owners say their fire risk fears have grown since getting one.
- Storage habits – while most store their e-scooters or e-bikes in a garage or outbuilding (56%), 10% keep them in their hallway, 5% in a shared hallway or landing, and 7% in another room in the home.
- Fire safety – only 41% are confident that the fire doors in their building would contain a lithium-ion battery fire.
This is a concerning gap. The very moments when fire doors are most needed are the same moments when lithium-ion battery fires are likely to overwhelm escape routes with heat, smoke and toxic gases. Fire doors need to be correctly specified, maintained and fully operational to perform their life saving role.
As London Fire Brigade Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Field recently warned: “E-bikes and e-scooters are one of London’s fastest-growing fire risks. Since the beginning of 2023, there has been a fire, on average, every other day involving an e-bike or e-scooter.
“We’re urging people never to store or charge e-bikes or e-scooters in hallways, stairwells or escape routes. If possible, keep them outdoors in a garage or shed. If you must keep one indoors, always place it in a room away from your main exit, so that if a fire does break out, you can close the door and get everyone to safety.”
For housebuilders and property developers, correct specification and compliance with evolving fire door legislation is essential. But it is equally important to consider how people use their homes today, particularly with the growing need to charge and store e-bikes and e-scooters. To meet the expectations of modern living while maintaining the highest safety standards, developers should look at incorporating dedicated storage and charging facilities with fire safety measures in order to give homeowners peace of mind.
Transition to EN 13501-2
Alongside emerging risks, the fire door sector is moving toward a shift in fire door regulatory standards that will impact all those responsible for fire doors.
In 2029, the UK will transition from the current British Standard (BS 476-22) to the European classification for fire resistance testing (EN 13501-2). This change stems directly from recommendations in the Hackitt Review and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and represents a step forward in aligning UK practice with European standards.
For housebuilders and specifiers today, the key compliance question is whether doors tested to the outgoing British Standard will remain valid. The answer is yes – fire doors tested to BS 476-22 remain fully compliant beyond 2029, provided they are correctly installed and maintained by a competent person.
In fact, the robust performance of timber fire doors tested to BS 476-22 is well established based on the results of Government testing to demonstrate fire resistance times on the 30-minute requirement. The results found that timber fire doors from BWF Fire Door Alliance members, tested to BS 476-22, regularly exceed the 30-minute fire resistance requirement, with an average of 46 minutes achieved.
While there is currently no need to }take action, it is important to begin planning. Housebuilders and developers should begin engaging with their supply chains as early dialogue with manufacturers and suppliers will ensure }a smooth transition.
What this means for housebuilders
Compliance with the latest standards and regulations is essential, but the implications for housebuilders go beyond this with the Building Safety Act placing far greater scrutiny on product performance, accountability, competence of installers and ongoing maintenance responsibilities. Developers must now demonstrate not only that the products specified are compliant but also provide vital information via the ‘golden thread’ to enable them to remain so throughout the building’s lifecycle – particularly for high-rise properties and buildings with shared spaces.
There are several key areas to consider, starting with fire door specification. Fire doors that are third party certified and supported by credible industry schemes such as the BWF Fire Door Alliance demonstrate robust proof of performance. However, correct installation is equally critical. Fire doors must be fitted by competent fire door installers, as a poor installation or onsite alterations can lead to a high performing fire door not being fit for purpose.
Finally, responsibility does not end with the completion and sale of the property. Under the Building Safety Act, a comprehensive handover must be factored in, with essential building and product information passed onto the responsible persons. This is crucial as it will help ensure they’re able to maintain the fire safety of the building as well as any third party certifications or warranties of key building components.
Focus on fire door safety
Fire door safety must be designed in, built in, and maintained across the life of a development. For housebuilders, this means viewing fire doors not just as a regulatory requirement, but as a life saving safeguard for the people who will live in the homes when developments are complete.
By leveraging fire doors with robust evidence of performance, working with skilled and competent installers, and planning now for future standards, housebuilders can deliver homes that are safe, resilient and future ready.
Helen Hewitt is chief executive of the British Woodworking Federation (BWF)