Many of the fires blamed on the batteries have been caused by malfunctioning devices left to charge overnight and placed in a hallway or near a door where they can trap people inside a burning apartment.
Kavanagh said the e-bike batteries “present often an immediate inability to exit one’s room or one’s apartment or one’s home. So it’s really critical that we work with all our partners up here in government around enforcement, around education, around combating the hazards that these present to citizens and first responders.”In 2022, lithium ion batteries were the cause of 216 fires. Now the FDNY and the city sheriff's department are teaming up in an effort to save lives.
"This is in the middle of a residential area. Should Something happen in this particular location, quite a few families would be burnt out of their homes," said NYC Sheriff Anthony Miranda.