Deadly Sunset Park fire renews calls for action on lithium-ion battery dangers
Video caught on Citizen shows the home completely engulfed as FDNY crews battled the flames.
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Six people are dead after a three-alarm fire tore through a multifamily home in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park, renewing calls for the city to crack down on lithium-ion battery fires.
The cause of Thursday morning’s fire remains unknown, but two e-bikes were recovered from the scene as evidence. Fire marshals have not confirmed whether a battery sparked the blaze.
The fire broke out around 1:40 a.m. on 86th Street, sending flames shooting from the windows of the home and trapping people inside. Firefighters arrived in under four minutes and rescued four residents. Two of those victims later died at the hospital.
At least nine others were injured, including three firefighters and two police officers. Approximately six people are receiving assistance from the Red Cross.
The tragedy is putting a renewed spotlight on the city’s growing number of lithium-ion battery fires. More than 400 have been reported in New York City so far this year, up from 292 last year.
City Council Member Phil Wong says legislation that would ban charging e-bikes indoors could help address the problem. But the bill, which he has been pushing since February, remains stalled in committee.
“There are a lot of bills that there’s just not enough interest to move out of committee with yet,” Wong said.
Wong says the proposal does not currently have enough support to advance.
“It’s our best interest to get these bills past, but right now we don’t have enough votes to tell you the truth,” he said.
For now, investigators are still working to determine what sparked the deadly fire, as neighbors in Sunset Park begin to reckon with the loss of six lives.
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