3 children, 1 adult injured in Inwood apartment fire
NEW YORK -- Three children rescued from a burning Inwood apartment on Sunday are in critical condition.
The FDNY said the fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery. Those type of batteries were found following another fire in Hell's Kitchen.
"We're having significant issues and an increase in fires and injuries because of these batteries," FDNY Chief John Esposito said.
Lithium-ion batteries continue to spark fires in the city.
"The family in that apartment was sleeping, the battery was charging overnight, and it was charging in the path of egress to get out of the apartment," Esposito said.
Several people were trapped in a blaze on Sherman Avenue early Sunday morning, including a 15-year old, 8-year old, and 1-year-old.
Fire officials said the battery was being charged near the exit of the home.
"We were able to rescue one person via aerial ladder out the window, down the ladder. And there were two other people that were removed from the apartment unconscious," Esposito said.
Also on Sunday morning, fire crews battled a fire in Hell's Kitchen, where several lithium-ion batteries were found inside the Ninth Avenue apartment. Investigators believe the cause was electrical stemming from power cords -- not from the batteries. Still, hazmat teams removed them from the home.
"Once they're exposed to heat or damaged, they may go into thermal runaway and cause that fire at some point in the future," Esposito said.
According to the FDNY, last year there were 220 fires caused by lithium-ion batteries. So far this year, there have been 15.
The warning if you have an e-bike?
"We try to remind all New Yorkers about the dangers of these lithium-ion batteries, we should not be charging them overnight. We should not be charging them in a path of egress from the apartment," Esposito said.
"You need to inspect the batteries, make sure they're not damaged, make sure you're using the correct charging cord for this, for the batteries, and not buying the cheap ones online."
