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At least 4 dead in Chinatown e-bike repair shop fire, officials say
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Verónica Del Valle
Published Jun 20, 2023
Modified Jun 21, 2023
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Brittany Kriegstein/Gothamist
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Verónica Del Valle
Published Jun 20, 2023
Modified Jun 21, 2023
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Four people died early Tuesday morning after a fire erupted at an e-bike repair shop in Chinatown that had been the subject of numerous FDNY violations, according to police and fire officials.
Chief Fire Marshal Dan Flynn said the owner of the shop at 80 Madison St. was issued summonses and ultimately fined $1,600 after fire officials inspected the location last August and found too many batteries that were being charged with improper electrical wiring.
When the fire department came back to take another look, the batteries weren’t being charged, Flynn said. But neighbors and customers said the practice continued.
Joey Sperduto visited the e-bike shop just a few weeks ago for some minor repairs on his e-scooter and recalled the store being packed with bikes and batteries.
“He used to have them all up on one wall. There used to be 50 or more, charging,” he said. “It was a matter of time, you know what I’m saying? He was just charging them all day long.”
Police said the fatalities were two men and two women. As of Wednesday morning, police had only released ages for two of the victims: one of the men was 71, and one of the women was 62. The other victims remain unidentified, and police have yet to release any of their names.
An 80-year-old woman and a 65-year-old woman both remained at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition, according to police. A firefighter suffered minor injuries. The medical examiner has yet to determine the residents’ cause of death, but a fire department spokesperson said they were suffering from smoke inhalation.
The building is both residential and commercial, with shops on the bottom floor and several stories of apartments above. According to a tweet from the Red Cross, the organization provided emergency housing to a total of 23 adults and two children from eight families.
Belal Alayah works at a nearby bodega and said he was getting ready to close up shop when a friend ran in and told him the bike shop was on fire. As flames melted the store’s metal security gate, he said he called 911, and firefighters were on the scene in under 10 minutes.
"It took them a couple of hours but it was already too late," he said. "Everything was already destroyed. "
Firefighters at the scene on Tuesday morning worked to clear dozens of charred e-bikes and scooters from the store as passersby stopped to look at the destruction. At one point, a pair of still-smoldering batteries on the sidewalk burst back into flames and had to be doused with water.
Lithium-ion e-bike batteries have been a top safety concern for city officials in recent years, as they can combust when charged or maintained improperly. Over the last few months, Mayor Eric Adams’ administration has cracked down on unregulated e-bike and e-scooter batteries, which tend to pose the greatest risk.
At a press conference, FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh stressed how explosive the batteries can be, and how quickly lithium-ion fires can escalate.
“You often hear us say that early warning is the best way to save yourselves from a fire. That is not the case in e-bikes. There's so much fire created that it can often be too late as soon as the fire has begun,” Kavanagh said.
“While there is tremendous and important regulation that we've conducted with the City Council and the mayor's office, it is also very, very important we get the word out how incredibly dangerous this is,” she said.
Neighbor Shirley Ngai said she had been concerned about the e-bike shop since it first moved into the first floor of her building over two years ago.
“‘Someday this is gonna happen.’ That's what I said to myself," Ngai said. "I just get these feelings with these e-bikes.”
Ngai and her blind mother fled their second-story apartment after smelling smoke from the blaze as it spread below. They are currently staying in a hotel.
E-bike battery fires have caused 66 injuries and 13 deaths so far this year, according to the latest data from the FDNY. By comparison, there were 40 injuries and two deaths last year at this time.
Kavanagh said New Yorkers should call 311 if they’re concerned about lithium-ion batteries being charged in unsafe conditions. Other best practices include making sure there are working fire alarms and accessible exits in every apartment.
Alayah said he never worried before about the perils of the combustible batteries, but now knows just how deadly they can be.
“I never even thought about them being that dangerous, but I guess they are real dangerous," he said. "Especially when they just killed four people today. If one sets on fire, they all set on fire.”
The FDNY is still investigating exactly what sparked the blaze.
This is a developing story and has been updated.
Tagged
nypd
e-bikes
fdny
fatal fire
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Verónica Del Valle
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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