Four people were killed early Tuesday morning when a fire at an e-bike shop in New York City rapidly spread to upper-floor apartments, becoming the latest fatal conflagration linked to exploding lithium-ion batteries.
Shortly after midnight, a fire was reported at a store that was cited last summer for safety violations related to the storage and charging of batteries, according to officials.
Fire at New York E-Bike Shop Leaves 4 Dead
Belal Alayah who works at Catherine Deli & Bagels on the corner from the shop took this video of the fire after calling 911. You see 2 NYPD officers assisting the FDNY in alerting people in the apartments above to evacuate. @NY1 pic.twitter.com/oSeTrMao6n
— Alyssa Paolicelli (@APaolicelli17) June 20, 2023
Burned bicycles, scooters, and other detritus littered the sidewalk in front of HQ E-Bike Repair, which was located on the ground floor of a six-story building in Chinatown, Manhattan.
More than a hundred fires and thirteen fatalities have been attributed to battery explosions in the city so far this year, according to Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh.
Per Daily Mail, two women and two men perished in the fire that broke out at the base of a six-story building at 80 Madison Street at 12:15 this morning. Officials noted that two of the victims were a 71-year-old male and a 62-year-old woman, as well as an unidentified man and woman.
A 65-year-old woman and an 80-year-old male were also transported to nearby hospitals in critical condition. In the aftermath of the fatal fire, bicycles and motorcycles lie contorted and charred in a heap.
As pedestrians viewed the ash-covered scene, police tape was visible around the perimeter of the cordon. Several hours earlier, thick smoke emanated from the shop as firefighters evacuated the neighborhood and stacked dozens of burned e-bikes in front of the HQ E-Bike Repair shop.
Initial reports indicated that nine individuals were injured in the fire, according to the New York Fire Department. One firefighter and one medical responder were reported to have suffered minor injuries.
The FDNY stated that all victims were transported to local hospitals, including the burn unit at New York Presbyterian Hospital Cornell, Bellevue Hospital, and Weill Cornell Medical Center.
"We arrived in approximately four minutes. We discovered significant fire in a first-floor e-bike store," said Deputy Assistant Chief John Sarrocco to ABC 7.
E-Bikes, E-Scooters Are Highly Flammable
As the fire department continued working inside the smoke-filled building, dozens of e-bikes and e-scooters were piled in front of the business. Approximately 33 units, including 138 firefighters and EMS personnel, responded to the fire.
The fire was brought under control at approximately 2:20 a.m. According to the fire department, the cause of the incident is still under investigation.
Kavanagh stated that it was "very evident" that lithium ion batteries, which can overheat and detonate while being charged, were the cause of the fire, but that the precise cause was still under investigation.
Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn stated that the shop was inspected and cited for safety violations related to battery charging, the quantity of batteries on-site, and the electrical system in August of last year.
According to The Independent, the store received a $1,600 sanction. During a recent surveillance of the store, authorities discovered numerous batteries, but none were being charged, he said.
The National Fire Protection Association reports that despite the prevalence of e-bikes and e-scooters, their lithium-ion batteries make them exceedingly flammable.
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