Another Lithium-Ion Battery Burst Into Flames In Brooklyn, FDNY Says

BROOKLYN, NY — A lithium-ion battery burst into flames Thursday afternoon at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, fire officials said, marking the latest in a citywide problem of battery-related fires reportedly expected to double this year.

The blaze Thursday was minor: Firefighters rushed to 63 Flushing Ave., No. 128, one of the many buildings in the Navy Yard (evidently home to a logistics company and wrist wrapping brand), and extinguished the fire, according to the Fire Department of New York.

No people were hurt or structures damaged during the process, the fire department said. Patch was unable to get in touch with any businesses in the building.

The fire, though, was part a recent troubling trend of lithium-ion battery blazes — some fatal — citywide, mostly involving e-bikes, which depend on the batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries are to blame for nearly 70 fires during the first five months of this year, the FDNY told Gothamist, amounting to nearly three times as many battery-sparked fires as the city saw during the first five months of 2021.

At least a dozen people have been injured, and one killed, in blazes set off by lithium-ion batteries this year, according to multiple outlets. At this rate, the battery fires are on pace to double this year compared with last, fire officials told Gothamist.

Last year, batteries were linked to 75 fires, 60 injuries and three fatalities citywide.

Asked if the battery ablaze in the Brooklyn Navy Yard was being used for an e-bike, the fire department did not answer. Lithium-ion batteries are also used in cell phones, laptops, tablets, electric cars and scooters.

Officials have largely attributed the trend of battery blazes to the growth of the restaurant delivery business and the sale of cheaper, poor-quality batteries.

"We want to really stress the seriousness of this situation," said FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro after a 9-year-old Queens boy died in a battery-sparked blaze last September.

The following month, after fire marshals determined that four fires in one week were caused by e-bike batteries, officials issued a warning to e-bike users encouraging them to be careful when charging and storing the batteries.

"Lithium-ion batteries store a large amount of energy and can pose a threat if not treated properly," officials warned users.

Still, considering many riders use e-bikes in New York City every day, lithium-ion fires are relatively rare, experts and advocates told Gothamist.