Photo: CTV file photo
A lithium-ion battery-powered e-bike was blamed for a deadly fire in New York on Monday that killed two children, in the latest such incident in New York. A series of electric bike-related fires in the city.
FDNY Chief John Hodgins said it took firefighters just three minutes to get to the home in Astoria, Queens. However, with the rapid nature of the e-bike fires and the fact that the bike was loaded near the main entrance to the multi-family building, the victims “didn’t have a chance to get out of the building” because the intense fire quickly moved. Stairs up to second floor apartment.
“So we got here pretty quickly. And if it wasn’t for a bike fire, we probably would have put that fire out without incident. The way these fires happen is like a fire going out,” he told reporters outside. The house is burning. It’s a constant problem. We urge everyone to be very careful and aware of the dangers of these devices.
With Monday’s fire, there have been five fire-related deaths in New York City so far this year, with officials saying the cause of the fire was an electric bike. So far, there have been 59 e-bike-related fires this year. Last year, there were six e-bike-related deaths.
Hodgins said a father and his six children were inside a second-floor apartment just before 2 p.m. when the fire broke out. The father and three of his children managed to jump out of the window to safety. The mother was not home at the time of the fire.
Hudgens, who was parked in the building’s vestibule, said an extension cord appeared to connect the loft to what firefighters believed was a spare bicycle charger. Hudgens said that although the bike was shipped in this condition, there were other fires related to bikes that weren’t shipped at the time.
E-bikes have become popular, gas-free ways to make deliveries, ride bikes, and get around town, which has encouraged cycling in recent decades.
New York City Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh urged residents to follow all safety guidelines and recommendations from e-bike manufacturers.
“We also call on our federal, state and local partners to quickly pass regulations that will help prevent tragedies like today’s fire,” she said in a statement. “We mourn the families of these victims. »
