In Midwood, Brooklyn, a two-story apartment building caught fire on the morning of June 27, resulting in at least four injuries, one of them in critical condition. The cause of the fire was confirmed to be a lithium-ion battery of an electric bike that was being charged.
At 6:33 a.m. that day, the fire department received a report of a fire and thick smoke coming from the second floor of a two-story mixed-use apartment building at 416 M Avenue. Over 100 firefighters and emergency personnel rushed to the scene. The fire was extinguished within an hour, but it had already caused injuries to four individuals. Among them, a 30-year-old man suffered severe burns and was rushed to Staten Island University North Hospital for treatment, where he remains in critical condition. The other three men suffered minor injuries from smoke inhalation.
Upon arriving at the scene, firefighters immediately pulled out a burning electric bike that was blocking the staircase leading to the second floor. Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn later confirmed that the lithium-ion battery of the electric bike, which was being charged, was the cause of the second-alarm fire. The electric bike belonged to one of the injured individuals. According to the fire department’s statistics, as of June 24 this year, lithium-ion batteries have caused 107 fires citywide, resulting in 46 injuries and 1 fatality. During the same period last year, there were 114 fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, leading to 78 injuries and 13 fatalities.
These incidents highlight the potential dangers associated with lithium-ion batteries when not handled properly or when charging devices such as electric bikes. It serves as a reminder for everyone to be cautious and follow safety guidelines when using and charging electronic devices powered by lithium-ion batteries to prevent such tragic events from occurring in the future.