A video posted by the FDNY shockingly reveals how a charging lithium-ion battery sparked a raging fire in a Queens e-bike shop this month.
The video, from King Electronic Hub in Richmond Hill, shows a charging lithium-ion battery surrounded by scooters and boxes shooting up a thick cloud of gray smoke, followed by sparks, according to a clip posted on X by FDNY.
“It only took two and a half minutes for this exploding lithium-ion battery to fully engulf this e-bike shop in fire,” the text accompanying the video warns.
“When we tell you illegal lithium-ion batteries can be dangerous, WE MEAN IT,” the caption reads
The two-alarm fire on Jan. 6, miraculously resulted in no injuries, the FDNY said.
In the first two weeks of 2024, lithium-ion batteries sparked eight blazes in the Big Apple, injuring three people. In 2023, there were 267 fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, killing 18 and injuring 150.
A horrific November blaze in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, linked to a lithium-ion battery killed three people from three generations of a family, in addition to injuring 14 others.
“These illegal, uncertified devices are ticking time bombs,” Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said after the November tragedy.