Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) joined City fire officials and local elected leaders in Fordham Heights on Tuesday, March 7, to announce new federal legislation mandating consumer product safety standards for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Torres, who represents a large swath of The Bronx, including Norwood, Fordham, and much of the northwest of the borough, shared the news on the heels of a 5-alarm supermarket and food plaza fire at 2096 Grand Concourse in Fordham Heights, caused by the explosion of lithium-ion batteries powering an e-bike on Sunday morning, March 5.

 

The fire injured seven people, two seriously, as reported. Torres said the new bill aims to save lives, prevent future catastrophic fires, and provide greater safeguards for the public. It follows a similar announcement on March 2 regarding a City Council package of fire safety bills.by District 15 City Councilman Oswald Feliz, who represents parts of Fordham, Bedford Park, Mount Hope, Bathgate, Belmont, East Tremont, West Farms, Van Nest, Allerton, and Olinville, and who was at the fire site on Sunday.

 

According to the FDNY, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have caused more than 400 fires in New York City in the last four years, resulting in more than 300 injuries, 12 deaths, and damage to more than 320 structures and more than 100 non-structures. Torres’s “Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act” would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish a final consumer product safety standard for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in personal mobility devices, such as electric scooters and bikes, to protect against the risk of fires caused by such batteries.

Fire officials said the alarm regarding the blaze, described by the FDNY as a “hazmat incident,” meaning it related to hazardous material, and which broke out at a supermarket located at 2096 Grand Concourse in the vicinity of East 181st Street, was raised at at 10.41 a.m. on Sunday morning.

 

According to the FDNY, the fire began in the rear of a one-story building (100 ft x 125 ft) and was caused by a lithium-ion battery which powered a scooter. Five firefighters incurred minor injuries and there was were two serious injuries to an EMT and to a civilian, fire officials said. A total of 25 units, comprising 106 firefighters responded to the blaze which was brought under control at 3.21 p.m., according to the FDNY.

 

A short video filmed by Norwood resident, Viviana Melendez, of the aftermath of the fire scene can be watched here.

 

An FDNY spokesperson told Norwood News later on Sunday evening, “Fire is deemed under control. Units are still operating to extinguish small pockets of fire throughout.  Units will continue to operate on scene to prevent a rekindle of any sort.”

Kavanagh said the department wanted to emphasize to the public how much damage can be caused by a single e-bike that isn’t compliant and might not be certified, or might be using an illegal battery. “This bike could be in your home, and if it can do this amount of damage to a store of this size, just think of the danger [that] to yourself, to your family, to your building,” she said.

 

Meanwhile, FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said firefighters quickly stretched the hose line into the building and started to extinguish the fire, noting the amount of fire that was produced by a single battery in just under five minutes. “We were unable to get ahead of it. It had spread quickly into the void spaces of the building and took off from there,” he said.

 

Hodgens added, “These buildings are old and the lumber and when you expose that aged lumber, to fire, it quickly spreads throughout the entire building.” He continued, “It was a difficult operation. We went to a defensive operation. You see these tower ladders, we stopped the fire from spreading to the furniture store but the fire had already spread to the laundromat. It’s really something that we have never seen before as far as a small fire turning into something like this in a matter of a few minutes.”

As reported, fire officials said that on Feb. 24, FDNY fire protection inspectors, fire marshals, and the New York City Sheriff conducted a joint operation at five locations in Manhattan with the purpose of identifying violations related to the charging and storage of lithium ion batteries.

 

“Twenty-five members from both agencies worked together and identified numerous dangerous conditions, unsafe electrical practices, and other assorted fire safety violations, including the storage of propane,” fire department officials said. “Improper storage and charging of hundreds of batteries and dozens of e-mobility devices was found at all five locations. In all, #FDNY issues 11 FDNY summonses, 14 Violation Orders, and 6 Criminal Summonses,” they added.

 

Feliz, a member of the City Council fire safety taskforce, introduced more fire safety legislation to the City Council on March 2 to ensure lithium-ion batteries go through safety checks before they are sold.

It follows the introduction of previous fire safety legislation after the Twin Parks tragedy which claimed the lives of 17 people, including 8 children, and which, as reported, the councilman was a lead sponsor. Representatives for Feliz said the rise in fires related to e-bike batteries is a growing concern. The latest package of bills includes the following sections:

1) Int. 656-A (Feliz) requires that e-bike batteries go through safety checks and be certified in order to be sold in New York City.

2) Int. 752A prohibits the sale of refurbished e-bike batteries.

3) Int. 656, 722, 749, respectively, require that the FDNY establish materials related to safe e-bike battery usage, that food hub platforms like GrubHub etc. provide safe e-bikes to delivery workers, and require that FDNY provides information related to e-bike fires and how to minimize fire safety threats.

 

These sections comprise a first package of bills, and Feliz’s office said his team are working on a second package which will include a battery swap program, safe disposal of lithium-ion batteries, and more.

The councilman said of the new package of bills, “The sharp rise in fires involving e-bike batteries is incredibly concerning. Last year, there were approximately 220 fires caused by faulty e-bike batteries. Families were displaced, and some of them lost loved ones. This cannot become the norm, so we are taking action.”

 

He added, “Not all batteries have caused fire safety challenges. Batteries that are certified have safety-related tools that help prevent overheating and other malfunctions that lead to fires. My legislation will require that batteries go through certification in order to be sold in NYC – to ensure they are safe for our communities to use. I also look forward to working on additional bills, including [City Council] Majority Leader Keith Power’s bill, which would create a battery swap program. We are dedicated to ensuring that lithium batteries are safe and accessible for all New Yorkers.”

Per FDNY Fire Marshals, the cause of today’s 5-alarm fire at 2096 Grand Concourse in the Bronx was a lithium-ion battery which powered a scooter. pic.twitter.com/HTifRojiJo

— FDNY (@FDNY) March 5, 2023

“E-bikes are the future of urban mobility,” Feliz had said in part during a press conference relating to the new bill package on March 2. “Thousands of ‘deliveristas’ rely on them for work. We’ve seen some defective batteries cause fire safety challenges – 200+ fires in one year. Thankful to all who joined to ensure only safe batteries are sold, so our families aren’t put at risk.” He added, “We can and will get this right in NYC.”

 

As reported, Torres and New York Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-9) announced in February 2022 the introduction of a federal law to address manufacturing issues with space heaters. The “Safer Heat Act” (H.R. 6615) also came about as a result of the Twin Parks North West apartment building fire, as reported, and one day before another 2-alarm fire was reported in the University Heights section of The Bronx.

 

Meanwhile, reacting to the news of the latest e-bike fire, one social media user, martino_num1, asked, “When these e-bikes or scooters catch fire like this, is it something the company owns up to and compensates?” Another social media user, therealguyjosh, said, “This happens with EV cars as well. Nothing E is good for us.”

 

Another social media user, manicamerican, proposed banning non-UL batteries and chargers. According to www.compliancegate.com, lithium batteries that carry the UL-listed mark have been tested against nationally-recognized safety standards, and as such, are deemed to meet specific safety requirements.

The same user added, “Also…e-bikes are legal, mopeds are not. It’s confusing to call everything an e-bike.” According to the NYPD, dirt bikes are illegal and if a scooter has an electric or gas motor with no vehicle ID number, then it is also illegal and cannot be driven or sold. Violators could face fines, and vehicles will be seized by police, law enforcement officials said. See our related story published in 2022 on motorized scooters.

 

As reported, last year, the cause of the fire at 2230 Grand Concourse on Sunday, Jan. 9, the same day as the Twin Parks fire, was a lithium-ion battery from an e-scooter. Our story includes a video by FDNY on how to mitigate against such fires. “When these [lithium-ion powered] scooters are involved in fire, the batteries can overheat and cause spontaneous combustion,” an FDNY official had said at the time.

On March 5, during a press conference at the site of the latest Fordham Heights blaze which was also visited by Mayor Eric Adams and Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, Feliz said, “Per Fire Marshals, the cause of today’s fire was a lithium-ion battery. Many of these batteries have created real and escalating threats related to fire safety. Today is just another example. This week we took action to ensure these batteries go through safety checks before sold.”

 

The councilman added, “No major injuries. Thankful to the hundreds of @FDNY firefighters for their well-organized operation today, and for risking their safety to control this fire. Also- we will work with this small business owner/employees, and will help them recover from this. They can count on us.”

 

Meanwhile, the mayor said he was relieved to report that no one was seriously injured in the fire. “@FDNY Commissioner Kavanagh has been sounding the alarm on the danger of lithium batteries on e-bikes, and today we again saw why,” he said. “Safety must come first.”

As previously reported, FDNY officials said a separate fire which broke out at 2728 Morris Avenue in Fordham Manor in a five-story, residential building on Wednesday, March 1, resulted in the hospitalization of five people, including two firefighters, with minor injuries.

 

When contacted by Norwood News about the incident, a fire department official said the call was received by FDNY at 8.33 a.m. on Wednesday, March 1, and the fire was brought under control at 10.10 a.m. “Main body of fire has been extinguished and incident placed under control,” FDNY officials added.

FDNY members are continuing to operate at a 5-alarm fire at 2096 Grand Concourse in the Bronx. pic.twitter.com/lU5cdal8mj

— FDNY (@FDNY) March 5, 2023

The two-alarm blaze started on the 4th floor of the building and extended to the 5th, they said. Twenty-five units, comprising 106 fire and EMS members responded to the scene, according to fire department representatives.

 

The total patient count was five, according to an FDNY spokesperson. This included three civilians and two firefighters, all of whom suffered minor injuries and were transported to St Barnabas Hospital.

Fire marshals are investigating the cause, FDNY officials said.

 

Meanwhile, users of the Citizens’ App reported that two of the three civilians were children and one was an adult. Users also reported that police reported that the Red Cross was on scene helping several people who were displaced by the fire. They added that firefighters appeared to use four hoses in attempts to douse the flames with water.

On Feb. 24, a separate fire broke out in University Heights at 103 West 183rd Street on the 5th floor of a residential building in Apartment 52, at 6.31 p.m. FDNY officials said the fire was brought under control at around 7.26 p.m. Asked for details of any injuries as well as the cause of the fire, if known, a fire department official said that there were no injuries and the cause is under investigation.

 

*David Greene contributed to this story.