A family has lost their home and nearly everything they owned after an e-bike battery reportedly began smoking and exploding, triggering a devastating fire that spread through their house within seconds.
The frightening experience was shared on Instagram by Kariann Peniche, who described how an ordinary Thursday evening turned into a desperate escape.
According to Peniche, the family first noticed an unusual smell coming from their living room. Initially, she thought a neighbour might have been cooking broccoli or that their cat had brought a dead animal into the house.
However, her son began investigating the source of the smell, and a friend alerted him that an e-bike battery had started smoking.
What happened next was terrifying.
Peniche said the battery began exploding within moments, and flames rapidly engulfed the home, leaving the family with barely enough time to escape.
There was no opportunity to collect clothing, important documents, photographs or other belongings. Their only priority was getting everyone outside alive.
Fortunately, all family members and their pets managed to escape safely.
But the destruction was overwhelming.
The family lost their home, clothing, electronics, photographs, artwork and treasured possessions accumulated over a lifetime.
Peniche described the emotional devastation of losing everything while also expressing gratitude that nobody was killed.
One thought continues to trouble her: what might have happened if the family had already been asleep when the battery began smoking?
She said the experience had completely changed her understanding of how dangerous rechargeable lithium-ion batteries can become when they fail.
Her account has also become a warning to others who own e-bikes, electric scooters and other rechargeable devices.
Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in everyday electronics, but damaged, defective or improperly charged batteries can experience thermal runaway, a dangerous process in which rapidly rising temperatures can cause fire, explosions and the release of flammable gases.
Warning signs can include unusual smells, excessive heat, swelling, hissing sounds or smoke.
Fire safety authorities generally advise people to stop using batteries showing these symptoms, avoid attempting to handle a smoking or burning battery, evacuate the area and contact emergency services.
For Peniche and her family, the material losses are enormous, but their survival remains the most important outcome.
She hopes sharing their experience will encourage others to recognise the warning signs before a similar tragedy occurs.
The family's account has not independently established the precise technical cause of the battery failure.
Their experience nevertheless highlights a frightening reality: a battery small enough to power an everyday vehicle can, under dangerous failure conditions, become the source of a rapidly spreading fire.