A FIRE sparked by a lithium battery on charge engulfed the groundfloor of a home as helpless neighbours looked on.

The moment was caught by a passer-by as the raging fire escaped out the front window in the home in Markhouse Avenue, Walthamstow, at 6pm yesterday (April 18).

Neighbours were seen helplessly looking on before London Fire Brigade crews arrived.

A lithium battery on charge is believed to have caused the serious house blaze.

The fire started in the bedroom and heated up a number of aerosol cans which exploded causing structural damage.

Fortunately, there was no one was home at the time of the fire.

Crews from Walthamstow and Leyton fire stations had the fire under control by 7.20pm.

The LFB confirmed there were no working smoke alarms in the property.

An LFB spokesperson said: “Homes need multiple and linked smoke alarms or you won’t be properly covered.

"Ideal spots for smoke alarms include rooms where you leave electrical equipment running like satellite boxes, computers or heaters; any room where you smoke, and anywhere you charge your mobile or laptop.

“As a minimum you should have smoke alarms on every floor - in the hallways and the rooms you use the most, plus a heat alarm in the kitchen.

"They should be linked together and tested regularly.”