The owner of a bike shop in Highbridge who lost over 100 bicycles, mobility scooters and electric bikes in a huge blaze last week has thanked the local community for their support.
As reported here, fire crews rushed to the bike shop at the rear of 40 Church Street last Thursday just before 7.30pm where the building was fully alight. It took crews several hours to fully extinguish.
Jim Dilbo, pictured, co-owner of the bike shop, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “The fire service have said they know the approximate location it started and that’s where a lithium ion battery was being charged for a mobility scooter so we are pretty sure that was the cause.”
“It really shows the danger of lithium ion batteries.”
He adds: “The support from local people has been wonderful, with so many warm comments from local residents, passers-by and people online which I’m so grateful for.”
He has also been helped by local people in starting to clear the site over the past few days.
“It would be nice to get something up and running again but it will take time because I wasn’t insured,” adds Jim.
“I lost everything – thousands of pounds worth of equipment.”
“People have kindly been offering me donations of bikes bit i don’t want those at the moment because I don’t have the storage space here and want to get things sorted.”
He has praised fire crews for their quick response in preventing the fire from spreading after the huge blaze.
