As the city works to change how e-bike lithium batteries are stored and regulated, another incident of e-bike batteries exploding kept Brooklyn firefighters busy on Tuesday afternoon.
At just after 1:25 p.m. on Nov. 15, FDNY units battled a house fire at 571 Glenmore Avenue in East New York. Fire personnel arrived to heavy smoke showing from a two-story wood-framed private residence, and Squad Company 252 removed the batteries and E-Bikes from the house.
There have been close to 200 fires caused by electric bikes or scooters across the Five Boroughs. The incidents have led to six people being fatally killed in house fires and over 146 residents injured in these events.
The FDNY stresses that New Yorkers should “always use the manufacturer’s cord and power adapter made specifically for the device.” They also stress that “if a battery overheats or you notice an odor, change in shape/color, leaking, or odd noises from a device discontinue use immediately. If safe to do so, move the device away from anything that can catch fire and call 9-1-1.”
