The FDNY Warns E-Bike Users to Take Care when Charging Lithium Batteries, which have Ignited Four Fires this Week

     The New York City Fire Department issued a warning for e-bike riders to use safety precautions when charging their lithium batteries, after putting out, in the last week, a spate of fires that were caused by defective lithium batteries that overheated, caught fire, or even exploded.

     To bring home the serious dangers that charging lithium batteries can spark, the FDNY released photos from four different fires the department says were started by lithium-ion batteries: all in the past week.

     On Oct. 9, Brooklyn firefighters responded to a fire that broke out on a building’s fifth-floor, where 12 e-bikes were found charging. 

     The FDNY reported that four Brooklyn residents were injured in the fire, and then just three days later, another lithium battery sparked a second fire in Brooklyn.

     "Lithium-ion batteries store a large amount of energy and can pose a threat if not treated properly,” the FDNY said in a social media post. “Like any product, a small number of these batteries are defective.”

      The recent incidents have motivated fire officials to warn New Yorkers to be careful when charging and storing lithium batteries, which are not only used to charge e-bikes, are also used to power cell phones, laptops, tablets, electric cars, and scooters.

     To prevent fires, the FDNY advises residents to ensure that they do not charge their devices under pillows, on beds, or on couches.    

     Batteries are most at risk of exploding, the FDNY said, when they overheat, so users should refrain from using any lithium batteries that smell odd, change color, leak fluid, or emit odd noises.