Fire service identifies cause of Merseyside blaze that killed 'devoted' mother and three children

A “devoted and loving” mother and her three children were killed by a fire caused by a lithium-ion battery, an investigation has revealed.

The blaze engulfed the Brabin family home in Bootle, Merseyside, in the early hours of 22 September.

Elisha Brabin, 36, and her children Leo, 16, Ellis, eight, and Prudence, seven, all died.

Their bodies were found by firefighters in an upstairs bedroom.

A fifth person was outside when emergency services arrived, and was taken to hospital suffering from burns.

A family statement released following the deaths described Ms Brabin as a “devoted and loving mother who lived for her children”.

It continued: “The tragic loss of Elisha and our three precious children has left us heartbroken. They have all been taken from us far too soon.

“The loss we are experiencing is unimaginable, and the impact on our family will be felt forever.”

An investigation into the cause of the blaze found it was started by an electrical event which caused a lithium-ion battery to go into thermal runaway, a spokesperson for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) said on Monday.

Thermal runaway occurs when the battery generates more heat than it can safely release, causing its temperature to rise rapidly and uncontrollably.

“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,” Kev Johnson, head of prevention at MFRS, said.

“I would like to commend the efforts of our fire control staff and our fire crews, also working with NWAS colleagues, who made every effort to provide a different outcome, but sadly this was not the case due to the speed and intensity of the fire.

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

The fire service has not confirmed what the battery was being used for, but they are often found in e-bikes and e-scooters.

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

Mr Johnson said: “We’re urging people to follow the manufacturer’s instructions, only using batteries and chargers which have been supplied with the 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.”