Lithium-ion battery fire kills Bronx man, FDNY says. It's the 5th deadly lithium-ion battery fire this year - CBS New York

By Natalie Duddridge

October 25, 2024 / 1:36 PM EDT / CBS New York

NEW YORK - One man is dead and several other people were hurt in a fire at a multifamily home in the Bronx Thursday night.

The victim, 34, was pulled out, but didn't survive, authorities said.

Firefighters said it was caused by a lithium-ion battery. It's the fifth fatality in a lithium-ion battery fire this year in New York City.

The fire happened just before midnight at a home on Beaumont avenue near Grote Street in the Belmont section.

The victim lived on the top floor of the building, and authorities say he was charging the battery for his e-bike, and that sparked the fire. Neighbors described him as quiet and say he kept to himself. They say he was a delivery driver.

Cellphone video shows another man hanging out of his top floor window trying to breathe. Firefighters quickly put up a ladder to get him out. Three others were hurt, including a resident who suffered serious, but not life threatening, injuries. Two firefighters also suffered minor injuries.

The Red Cross says they're helping six adults with temporary housing. Some tenants said they were offered a hotel in Brooklyn, but said it was too far from their work in the Bronx.

The FDNY's HAZMAT team removed the battery and placed it in a fire-resistant container to prevent flare-ups.

"Yesterday morning, when he came from work, I seen him. He had his bag on him, and he had his batteries on him. He had one battery in the hand. He had one battery in the backpack. He said 'What's up.' He went upstairs. That was the last time I seen him," neighbor Ernesto Salaam said.

"He also used to charge his bike in the hallway at one point, but we live on the first floor. So we, kind of like, you shouldn't charge your bike in the hallway," a neighbor said.

While it's the fifth death related to lithium-ion batteries so far this year, that's down from 14 last year.

FDNY officials have repeatedly stressed the following tips:

For more safety tips about lithium-ion batteries from the FDNY, click here.

Natalie Duddridge is an award-winning journalist. She joined CBS News New York as a reporter in February 2018.

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