An overnight fire sent four people to the hospital, three with critical injuries, and is the latest in the city sparked by e-bike batteries, the FDNY said.
The "all-hands" fire kicked off around 1:30 a.m. Sunday on Sherman Avenue in Inwood, according to fire officials. It took roughly an hour for crews to get the fire on the fifth floor under control.
Four people injured in the early-morning fire were taken to Harlem Hospital where they were being treated. Additional details, including their ages, were not immediately shared.
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Fire investigators are blaming the fire on an e-bike battery, making it the third since the start of the year sparked by the devices. Dozens have been injured across the incidents and one person has been killed.
Just last week, a lithium-ion battery from an e-bike sparked the devastating fire at a Queens daycare center that hurt more than a dozen kids, one of them critically.
Lithium-ion batteries have accounted for a growing share of fires in New York City and elsewhere in recent years. They're inherently flammable, which is why airlines don't allow them in checked baggage, and ultra-sensitive to heat. The packaging also tends to degrade more quickly, increasing the risk of fire and, potentially, widespread damage.
According to a New York Times report, lithium-ion batteries caused about 200 fires and six deaths in New York City last year.
