photo by Julia Dunham
A lithium-ion battery in an e-bike started a fire this afternoon on the first floor of a private house at 281 E. 2nd Street in Kensington, Brooklyn, between Church Avenue and Albemarle Road.
It was an "All Hands" fire,which is a fire or incident where a minimum of four fire units are fully engaged.
In 2026, to date, lithium-ion batteries have started sixty-six fires in New York City, leaving five people dead. In 2025, in total, they started 216 fires, leaving six people dead.
"Given the nascent industry and lack of federal standards for e-micromobility products, a number of the batteries in these devices are or become defective and can overheat, catch fire, or explode. In 2023 alone, there were 268 fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, many of which were used to power e-bikes." https://www.fdnysmart.org/be-fdnysmart-when-using-any-devices-powered-by-lithium-ion-batteries/"1. lithium-ion batteries can catch fire even when not plugged in, though it is less common than during charging. 2. Risks arise from internal damage, manufacturing defects, or improper storage (extreme temperatures/moisture), leading to a "thermal runaway" chemical reaction that can cause ignition or explosions, even when sitting idle." https://www.renogy.com/blogs/emergency/can-lithium-batteries-catch-fire-when-not-in-use
