Fire investigators are ready to point blame at the cause of a deadly overnight house fire in Queens that claimed the life of a man in his 60s and injured nearly a dozen people.
The inferno kicked off around 11 p.m. in the Elmhurst neighborhood, quickly engulfing the home on 89th Street in flames and heavy smoke. Video showed flames several feet high shooting out of the building's windows.
A 2-alarm response was dispatched to the 3-story residence, where the injury count eventually climbed into double digits. Officials say 10 people were injured -- that figure includes four firefighters -- and one man died.
Investigators with the FDNY believe the fire was sparked by a lithium-ion battery possibly used to power an e-bike or scooter. Such a device was pulled from the
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FDNY members were able to get the Elmhurst blaze under control shortly before 1 a.m., but sources say the fire rekindled around 2 a.m. due to several additional batteries elsewhere in the building.
E-bike related fires have been on the rise in recent years and have been blamed for untold damage across the city.
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According to fire department stats, at least 216 fires were started last year because of the battery-powered devices. And in 2021, some 106 e-bike fires were recorded.
The FDNY urges people to never store e-bikes near an exit and not leave a charging device unattended overnight.
