FDNY: Siblings killed in Queens house fire sparked by e-bike battery
NEW YORK -- Two siblings were killed Monday after their home in Queens burst into flames. The FDNY said the fire was started by a lithium-ion battery that belonged to an e-bike.
The flames went up so quickly, neighbors had to rescue people who jumped out of windows.
A daunting cleanup effort is underway on 46th Street near 28th Avenue in Astoria hours after smoke billowed over the neighborhood and people who live in the home cried out for help.
"I heard someone screaming 'My house, my house!'" said neighbor Theodore Alafogiannis.
Alafogiannis said he and two other neighbors helped a few people escape through a window.
"We caught 'em as they went out," he said. "You gotta help people in need. That's it. I didn't even think."
Firefighters said a total of six people were in the home: a father and five other family members, including the two siblings who died.
The FDNY said the e-bike that sparked the fire was near the front door, and the family couldn't escape through that door because of the explosive nature of e-bike fires.
"If this was not an e-bike fire, most likely we would have been able to put this fire out without incident," said FDNY Chief of Dept. John Hodgens.
This year, e-bike batteries have caused 59 fires in New York City so far. Five people have died. Last year, the batteries caused 220 fires that killed six people.
Marwan Muthanna and his dad are close friends with the father, who is now in the hospital.
"He's a great guy, beautiful guy," said Muthanna. "It's very sad, it's a tragedy. It's unbearable, we can't imagine his pain right now."
Mayor Eric Adams signed several e-bike safety laws in March, including a ban on the sale of batteries that do not meet recognized safety standards. But there's no telling how many faulty batteries or chargers are already in New Yorkers' homes.
In this case, the FDNY believes the battery was being charged with an after-market charger and extension cord.
"It's a tragedy," said Frank Mancuso, who lives next door. "We're just trying to move as much of our stuff out as we can for now. So yeah, otherwise I guess it's, look for a new place."
His neighbors are looking for a way forward from a heartbreaking loss.
