Another e-bike battery fire, this time inside an e-bike store in the Norwood section of The Bronx, resulted in no injuries the FDNY said. As reported, federal officials recently recalled certain Chinese-manufactured, lithium-ion batteries as a safety measure, while New York City Mayor Eric Adams and other elected officials recently devised a new plan in attempts to curb e-bike fires caused by lithium-ion batteries. Such fires across the City and country have become a regular occurrence in recent years.

 

Department officials said they were alerted to a report of smoke at Electric Transporters e-bike store, located at 275 East 206th Street at 11.40 a.m. on Wednesday, June 7. An FDNY spokesperson said there was smoke coming from the store, that the fire had been extinguished, that there were hazardous materials (“haz mat”) at the scene and no injuries reported.

We attempted to speak to a male employee of the e-bike store (or potentially the manager) outside after the incident but he said he was busy with the clean-up. We later spoke to “Rosa,” a store employee, and asked her if she could explain what happened.

 

Speaking in Spanish, she said, “It was [caused by] a battery which disconnected.” We asked if the fire had been a big one. She replied, “No, no, because we used the fire extinguishers to put it out and it was smoke, nothing more.”

Asked if the residue and what looked like particles of dust seen inside the store all over the store merchandise was from the smoke / fire, Rosa said, “No, from the fire extinguishers. Two were used.” We asked if the fire started in the back of the store and she said, “yes.”

 

Asked if the fire started while an e-bike battery was being charged, she said yes and that the fire started once the battery was disconnected. We asked if anyone had been hurt (before we got the official FDNY incident report) and she said no. “Everything is ok, thanks to Christ,” she said.

 

We later spoke to Eduardo Jimenez who was outside the store and who appeared to be a customer. Asked if he had witnessed the incident, he said he had not and had just arrived. We asked if he was perhaps a bit apprehensive about using e-bikes given all the recent stories of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries. Speaking in Spanish, he said, “Yes, but one has to take care of oneself.”

Asked if he, himself, had ever experienced problems while charging his battery, Jimenez said, “no.”

 

Gilbert from “Gilbert’s Juices and Smoothies,” a recently opened business next door to the e-bike store, told Norwood News he had seen about three fire trucks responding to the incident. Asked if he had witnessed flames, he said, “No, just the smoke.”

 

The e-bike store was seen shut later on Wednesday evening with signs that read, “Closed for Cleaning. Sorry for any inconvenience.”

According to firerescue1.com, a news website devoted to fire-related activity, by necessity and like the early days of emergency medicine, a hazardous materials (hazmat) response has become another critical incident category for the fire service. “Like other fire department disciplines, a hazmat crisis requires a measured, deliberate and intensive approach,” an extract reads. “Successful resolution of a hazmat incident involves the right equipment, and the education and training to use it effectively.”

 

Norwood News readers recently weighed in on the topic of e-bike fires caused by lithium-ion batteries. FDNY officials recently reported that the strength of such batteries makes lithium-ion battery fires harder to extinguish.

The fire took place on the same day that Canadian wildfires continued to severely impact the air quality in the northeast of the country. As reported, a government health advisory was put in place regarding air quality on Tuesday night, June 6, and continues through Friday, June 9.

 

A strange apocalyptic type atmosphere descended upon the City which became imbued with a hazy, orange hue at one point on Wednesday. Many people seen on the street in the vicinity of the e-bike store in Norwood were once again wearing masks, as reported, following recommendations by City health officials.

The FDNY is continuing to distribute N-95 masks at several locations. There is a limit of two masks per person. For a full list of air quality tips, and how to stay safe, head to http://nyc.gov. Read our latest update on the situation here.

 

New laws have been introduced at a federal, City and State level to address fire safety prevention and the hazards of lithium-ion batteries and e-bikes.

 

*David Greene contributed to this story.