A fire in a Merseyside home that killed three people was caused by a lithium-ion battery, firefighters have said.

An electrical event caused the battery to go into “thermal runaway”, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) said.

The service didn’t indicate what the battery was used for, but such batteries are commonly found in e-bikes and e-scooters.

Firefighters arrived at the blaze at a semi-detached home in Bootle, Merseyside, at about 3:45 a.m. on Tuesday, 22 September.

Six crews were on the scene at the height of the fire.

Eight firefighters entered the home and found four people in an upstairs bedroom showing no sign of life. The four were later confirmed dead.

They were named by police as Elisha Brabin, 36, Leo Brabin, 16, Ellis Brabin, eight, Prudence Brabin, aged seven.

A man was taken to hospital suffering burns.

“This is a devastating incident, and our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of the mother and children who lost their lives and those who were injured,” said Kev Johnson, MFRS head of prevention.

“This tragedy highlights the very real risks posed by lithium-ion batteries, which we confirmed as the source of the fire.”

Firefighters and North West Ambulance Service colleagues “made every effort to provide a different outcome” but “sadly this was not the case due to the speed and intensity of the fire“, Johnson said.

The fire service said there had been 150 fires linked to lithium-ion batteries on Merseyside between April 2023 and August 2026, with five fatalities.

Johnson urged members of the public to follow manufacturers’ instructions, only using batteries and chargers that have been supplied with a vehicle or approved by the manufacturer, as “anything else can pose a huge fire risk”.

“It’s also important to know and recognise the signs that your lithium-ion battery may be failing – if it is swelling, making unusual sounds, has a strong smell, is failing to charge, or is smoking, please stop using immediately,” Johnson said.

Relatives paid tribute to “beloved daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunty, niece and cousin” Elisha and “our beautiful babies, Leo, Ellis and Prudence”.