A firefighter was injured early Tuesday when a fire broke out inside a Midtown Manhattan e-bike rental store filled with lithium-ion batteries, the FDNY said.
The blaze erupted inside the BinGit NYC store on W. 38th St. near Sixth Ave. at about 3 a.m.
When firefighters arrived, smoke was seen pouring out of the first-floor store, and the internal sprinkler system had been activated.
An FDNY hazmat team was immediately dispatched because lithium-ion batteries were found inside the store, which rents e-bike and scooters, officials said.
More than 80 firefighters and EMS personnel arrived at the scene, FDNY officials said. The fire was extinguished by 4:30 a.m.
Firefighters spent the rest of the morning packaging up the lithium-ion batteries they recovered t the scene to prevent them from igniting. Lithium-ion batteries explode when they overheat and quickly spread.
One firefighter suffered a minor injury and was taken to Lenox Health Greenwich Village for further care.
An email to BinGit NYC requesting comment was not immediately returned.
FDNY fire marshals were attempting on Tuesday to determine what sparked the fire. It was not immediately clear if the fire was sparked by an overheated lithium-ion battery or another cause.
In October, a 34-year-old Bronx man was killed when a charging lithium-ion moped battery set his kitchen on fire, officials said.
In 2019, when FDNY first started tracking these fires, only 13 blazes were attributed to the batteries. In 2020, that number jumped to 44, FDNY officials said.
As the number of lithium-ion batteries increased, the FDNY began a massive public service announcement campaign to encourage e-bike and scooter owners to use only factory-installed batteries, not charge them overnight, and keep the bikes outside if possible. The department also ramped up inspections at e-bike stores and improved response tactics.
As a result, fire deaths caused by lithium-ion batteries have dropped from 14 at this time last year to five so far this year, officials said.
Originally Published:
