An e-bike battery explosion has left a Byron Bay business in ruins, with owner Liam Kelly facing a staggering $635,000 damage bill. The fire erupted on April 16 in the Freedom Machine workshop on Johnson Street, northern NSW, destroying around 60 bikes valued at up to $20,000 each.
The Devastating Blaze
The incident began when a lithium-ion battery from an imported e-bike, placed on a charger for testing, sparked and ignited a rapid chain reaction. Twisted metal frames and charred remains are all that survive in the showroom and workshop. Three staff members were present but escaped unharmed.
Liam Kelly was boarding a flight from Sydney when he learned of the fire. From the plane, he watched smoke rise from his life’s work below. “I’m embarrassed that this happened, people have lost things, and I’m embarrassed that it happened in a shop that was designed to be a safe workplace,” Kelly stated. “I’m just glad everyone got out.”
Warning for E-Bike Buyers
Kelly urges buyers to steer clear of international sellers like Temu, social media marketplaces, and WhatsApp deals. “There are Chinese factories dumping cheap bikes and saying they are a quality product, but the problem with that is there’s no origin story of the battery, there is no accountability,” he explained. “People should buy from reputable Australian brands.”
Freedom Machine had recently started servicing imported e-bikes due to high demand from backpackers in car-free Byron Bay, prioritizing workers over recreational users.
Delayed Response and Narrow Escape
Local firefighters arrived after 37 minutes, as the nearby station lacks full-time staffing. Kelly believes he would have suffered severe burns or worse had he been on site. “If I had been there I would be dead – worse than dead, I’d be alive with burns all over my body,” he said. The blaze melted his collection of racing and historical bikes from the 1990s.
Path to Recovery
Kelly and his son Xavier launched a GoFundMe campaign targeting $35,000 to repay customers for destroyed new bikes. Insurance excludes coverage for such fires, leaving no safety net. “This business isn’t just our job, it’s our life. We don’t own a house. Every dollar we’ve ever made has been reinvested back into the shop,” Xavier stated.
Looters, including some local youths posting on TikTok, have stolen bike parts from the rubble. Despite the setbacks, the Kellys, with a decade in e-bikes and four years running Freedom Machine, pledge to rebuild. “It is the business that I’ve got, so I’ve got no choice now but to try and find a way to get going again,” Kelly affirmed. “I’ve done startups in the past, so I can do that. I work really, really hard, so I can do it.”
