In New York City, the popularity of e-bikes and scooters, fueled by the pandemic’s delivery boom, has led to a sharp increase in fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, according to FDNY officials.
Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn noted that the city has witnessed a nearly ninefold rise in fires associated with these batteries since the pandemic began, with more incidents in the past two months than in the entire year of 2019.
Flynn attributes this rise to the widespread adoption of e-bikes and scooters, driven by the gig economy and an increase in commuters looking for affordable transportation options.
However, as these devices age, the risk of fire from their lithium-ion batteries escalates due to wear and tear, improper maintenance, and unauthorized repairs or modifications.
“It’s the prevalence of these e-devices on our streets, there’s way more of them now than ever before,” Flynn told the New York Post.
The statistics are alarming: there were 30 fires related to scooter batteries in 2019, with the number skyrocketing to 268 fires in the past year, resulting in 150 injuries and 18 deaths.
As of February 26th, the city has already faced 31 fires related to these batteries in the current year alone, causing 26 injuries and one fatality.
The most recent victim was Indian journalist Fazil Khan, who lost his life in a fire that broke out in a Harlem apartment building on Friday, February 25th, caused by a lithium-ion battery.
The incident also resulted in 18 others being injured on St. Nicholas Place.
To address this growing threat, the FDNY’s Lithium-Ion Task Force is ramping up inspections across the city.
FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh has pledged to intensify efforts against businesses creating “Frankenstein batteries” by illegally replacing individual battery cells, which she described as lethal.
“They kill people, they have killed people and they will kill more people if businesses continue to operate in this manner,” Kavanagh warned.
Despite New York’s enforcement of new UL standards for lithium-ion batteries, challenges remain with older units entering the city from states lacking such regulations.
In response, New York’s House of Representatives member Ritchie Torres advocates for a national standard to address an “unprecedented crisis in fire safety,” emphasizing the danger posed by poorly manufactured and handled lithium-ion batteries.
“Poorly manufactured and poorly handled lithium-ion batteries are ticking time bombs in American homes and businesses,” Torres remarked, pushing for the passage of the Setting Consumer Standards For Lithium-ion Batteries Act during a congressional hearing.
