E-bike battery fatal fire: 1 dead, 3 injured in Brighton Beach apartment fire

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A man was killed, and three others were injured in a Brooklyn apartment fire early Tuesday morning, which officials say was caused by a lithium-ion battery. The fire broke out  around 3.30 a.m. on Brighton 3nd Street in the Brighton Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn. Firefighters arrived to find heavy flames coming from a rear bedroom, where they discovered the 69-year-old victim. 
 

An e-bike and batteries were charging inside a bedroom in a second-floor apartment at 3110 Brighton 3rd St. At about 3:30 a.m. the battery failed and ignited. FDNY believes that this lithium-ion e-bike battery sparked the blaze in the apartment.

Five people were inside the apartment when the fire started. Two of them suffered minor injuries while attempting to extinguish the fire, while two children escaped unharmed. The lithium-ion device, believed to be an uncertified product purchased online, had blocked the victim's escape route. The apartment’s smoke detector had also been removed.

Fire officials emphasized the dangers of lithium-ion batteries during a press conference, stating that individuals should never attempt to extinguish such fires on their own. Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn reiterated the importance of not placing these devices near exits, saying, "Never put these between you and the front door."

The fire was brought under control by 4:30 a.m., with two civilians and a firefighter hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. This incident marks the fourth lithium-ion battery-related death in New York City this year, down from 14 at this time last year. FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker emphasized that while fatalities have decreased, four deaths are still too many: "I won’t stop raising awareness about unregulated lithium-ion batteries and the dangers they pose until we reach zero."

As of this week, New York City has seen approximately 219 fires linked to lithium-ion batteries. Fire officials urge the public to immediately call the fire department if a lithium-ion battery fire occurs, as there is no safe way to extinguish such fires on your own.


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