A mother was seriously injured after she was forced to jump from a window to escape a "devastating" e-bike fire that destroyed most of a house.

Six fire engines and 40 firefighters rushed to a blaze in King Edward's Road, Hackney, just after 3am on Thursday (December 14).

A mother was seriously injured and her son is also in hospital after both jumped from windows to escape the fire, London Fire Brigade said today (December 15).

The blaze, believed to have been caused by a catastrophic failure of an e-bike battery, destroyed most of the three-storey house.

The e-bike was at the bottom of the ground floor staircase blocking their way out.

Charlie Pugsley, assistant commissioner for fire safety, said: “This was a devastating fire that has destroyed a home.

“A mother and son who were inside the home when the fire occurred had no choice but to leap from windows because their escape route was blocked."

LFB brought the fire under control in just under two hours, but Mr Pugsley urged e-bike owners to store and charge them safely.

“If you own an e-bike or e-scooter, do not store or charge it on an escape route such as hallway," he said.

"If you can’t keep it outside, put it in a room where you can shut a door and contain a fire.

“Lithium battery fires are ferocious and they can spread so rapidly.

"They also produce a toxic, flammable vapour cloud which should never be inhaled.

"If your e-bike or e-scooter catches fire, get well away from it and call 999.”

There have been 150 e-bike fires and 28 e-scooter blazes in London this year, LFB said.

Mr Pugsley urged people to be careful purchasing such items ahead of Christmas. 

He added: “From our investigations, we know many of the fires we’ve attended have involved second-hand vehicles, the use of incorrect chargers, or the bike has been modified using parts bought online.

"If you’re thinking about buying one of these vehicles as a gift for a loved one for Christmas, please make sure you’re buying it, or the parts for them like batteries, conversion kits or chargers, from a reputable seller."