LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — An electric bicycle powered by a lithium ion battery is now being blamed for a fatal fire.
The accident happened Monday at a home in New York City, and two children were killed.
The fire marks the latest in a string of e-bike-related fires in the city.
According to the New York fire chief, it took his firefighters only three minutes to arrive.
However, with the fast-moving nature of e-bike fires added with the bike being charged near the front entrance of the multi-family building, the victims “didn’t have a chance to get out of the building.”
The intense fire quickly traveled up the stairs to a second-floor apartment.
E-bike related deaths have been reported in Virginia and California.
In Michigan, firefighters are seeing the same issue.
Last summer, authorities on Mackinac Island banned e-bikes from fire and police department buildings after a house fire on the island, believed to have started after an e-bike battery exploded.
According to the New York Times, in 2022, batteries caused 216 fires, 147 injuries and 6 deaths.
Experts said that most of the danger comes from off-market, refurbished, damaged or improperly charged batteries.
If you own an e-bike, police and fire departments are urging people to not store their e-bike and e-bike batteries indoors.
