Lithium-ion battery fire kills Bronx man, FDNY says. It's the 5th deadly lithium-ion battery fire this year
NEW YORK - One man is dead and several other people were hurt in a fire at a multifamily home in the Bronx Thursday night.
The victim, 34, was pulled out, but didn't survive, authorities said.
Firefighters said it was caused by a lithium-ion battery. It's the fifth fatality in a lithium-ion battery fire this year in New York City.
The fire happened just before midnight at a home on Beaumont avenue near Grote Street in the Belmont section.
"You can't even imagine the impact this has on my family"
Theresa Banks said her family is consumed by grief after learning her nephew died in the fire at his home.
"You can't even imagine the impact this has on my family," she said. "He always wanted to help, without hesitation... he's my most independent nephew. He worked every day. He paid his bills.
"He worked hard for anything and everything," the victim's cousin said. "Didn't let nothing stop him."
The victim lived on the top floor of the building, and authorities say he was charging the battery for his e-bike, and that sparked the fire. Neighbors believe he had just finished his shift as a delivery driver. They said he parked his moped outside, and brought the battery in. They described him as quiet and say he kept to himself.
"Yesterday morning, when he came from work, I seen him. He had his bag on him, and he had his batteries on him. He had one battery in the hand. He had one battery in the backpack. He said 'What's up.' He went upstairs. That was the last time I seen him," neighbor Ernesto Salaam said.
Cellphone video shows another man hanging out of his top floor window trying to breathe. Firefighters quickly put up a ladder to get him out. Three others were hurt, including a resident who suffered serious, but not life threatening, injuries. Two firefighters also suffered minor injuries.
The Red Cross says they're helping 10 people with temporary housing. Some tenants said they were offered a hotel in Brooklyn, but said it was too far from their work in the Bronx.
The FDNY's HAZMAT team removed the battery and placed it in a fire-resistant container to prevent flare-ups.
Tenants said they were aware of the danger of the batteries.
"He also used to charge his bike in the hallway at one point, but we live on the first floor. So we, kind of like, you shouldn't charge your bike in the hallway because it could do that," a neighbor said. "God forbid it would've exploded on the first floor."
A vacate order was posted on the home. Tenants are waiting to see if they can retrieve their belongings.
Deadly lithium-ion battery fires are down
While it's the fifth death related to lithium-ion batteries so far this year, that's down from 14 last year.
FDNY officials have repeatedly stressed the following tips:
- Make sure any and all lithium-ion batteries and chargers are certified UL listed
- Do not charge devices in places where they would block the way out if the catch fire
- Call 911 right away and do not try to put out lithium-ion battery fires
- Make sure smoke detectors are in working order
For more safety tips about lithium-ion batteries from the FDNY, click here.
