At least 4 dead in NYC e-bike repair shop blaze; FDNY recently cited location for multiple violations



At least four people have died and more were critically injured in a fire that started at an e-bike repair shop in lower Manhattan Tuesday night, KUSA and other outlets reported.

Firefighters responded to the blaze at 80 Madison Street around 12:15 a.m., the FDNY tweeted around 3:40 a.m. At the time, the FDNY reported there were seven injuries, six of which were critical. A firefighter also sustained minor injuries.

A 71-year-old man was among the deceased victims, according to the New York Times.

"It is very clear that this was caused by lithium-ion batteries and e-bikes. There was a very large number of both batteries and e-bikes," said FDNY Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh in a press conference Tuesday morning.

"This location is known to the Fire Department. We have written violations at this location before, and we have conducted enforcement at this location before."

Commissioner Kavanaugh emphasized how "incredibly dangerous" it is to have housing above ground-level e-bike shops.

"The volume of fire created by these lithium-ion batteries is incredibly deadly."

Firefighters quickly gained entrance to the building and pulled many victims out, enabling first responders to treat them right away.

The sheer volume of these sorts of fires can "make it nearly impossible to get out in time," Kavanaugh said. She described the types of blazes created by the batteries as more of an explosion than a smoldering fire.

"It can often be too late as soon as the fire has begun," she said.

Chief Fire Marshal Dan Flynn said the shop had been inspected in August, the FDNY had issued summonses, and that the defendants were found guilty in court and given a $1,600 fine.

The summonses were related to the charging of the batteries, the number of the batteries at the location, and the electrical wiring required to charge them, Chief Fire Marshal Flynn also said. Summonses were also issued in 2021.

Commissioner Kavanaugh said a total of 108 fires and 13 fatalities related to lithium-ion batteries have been logged so far this year, which is "significantly higher" than last year.

A child and a teen died in an e-bike fire in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens in April, as TheBlaze reported.

The American Red Cross Greater New York Region provided emergency housing for 23 adults and two children who were among at least eight households impacted by the Madison Street fire. The relief agency is also providing three families with financial assistance.

Fire Commissioner Kavanaugh asks citizens who see unsafe conditions related to e-bikes to call 311 to help the FDNY in its enforcement and education efforts.

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A child and a teen die in 'explosion of fire' caused by a lithium-ion e-bike battery



Two young people died in an "explosion of fire" in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens Monday in a blaze caused by an e-bike's lithium-ion battery, according to FDNY officials and local news outlets.

"The way these fires occur, it's like an explosion of fire. The occupants have very little chance of escaping," said FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens from the scene of fatal two-alarm fire in Queens.

Officials said the heavy fire condition started on the first floor and traveled directly up the stairs.

Of the six occupants upstairs, four were able to jump out the windows and lived. Two others did not survive.

Officials did not immediately release the names and ages of the individuals who died. Neighbors told the New York Times the victims were siblings, a 7-year-old boy and his 19-year-old sister. The mother was reportedly not home at the time.

The e-bike was parked in the first-floor vestibule at the front door when the fire started.

Chief Hodgens said it appeared an extension cord had been run from the upstairs apartment to the bike. The bike was apparently being charged using an after-market charging device, ABC News reported.

Lithium-ion battery fires have increased dramatically in recent years. The FDNY offers several safety tips and important pieces of precautionary advice on the dangers of the popular, rechargeable batteries used in electric bikes, scooters, cars, laptops, and other common devices here.

An e-bike fire in a Bronx grocery store injured seven people and gutted the store on March 5, the New York Post reported. The quick-moving, five-alarm fire required 50 units and more than 200 firefighters to put out. Five firefighters suffered minor injuries in that blaze.

The FDNY shared photos on its Twitter account that showed ladders leading to the second floor of the home where Monday's fire occurred, the charred remains of the bike, and the battery believed to have started the fire.

"We had a terrible tragedy today," the FDNY tweeted.

\u201cWe had a terrible tragedy here today. A fire started on the first floor in the vestibule. The cause of the fire was an e-bike - said Chief of Department Hodgens from the scene of a 2-alarm fire which killed two people in Queens this afternoon. Read more: https://t.co/xjdPl7NZFx\u201d
— FDNY (@FDNY) 1681167975

"Today’s fire marks our 59th fire this year caused by a lithium-ion battery. Today, unfortunately we have had our fifth fatality this year as a result of lithium-ion batteries," said Chief Fire Marshal Dan Flynn in statement accompanying the FDNY's Instagram post on the deadly blaze.

"We want people to use them, but we want people to use them safely. We want people to purchase chargers that are compatible with the devices that they purchase. Do not buy the cheapest device," Chief Flynn said.

"We lost two people today; we were fortunate not to lose six."