E-bike battery causes deadly fire in Queens

Two young people were killed in a fire caused by an e-bike battery that was being charged near the front door of an apartment building in Queens. The fire quickly spread, trapping a family in their apartment. Four of the occupants were able to jump out the windows to safety, but two young people died. The intensity of the fast-moving blaze ignited by the e-bike’s lithium ion battery trapped the family in the apartment. Fire officials have repeatedly warned about the dangers of improperly storing and charging e-bikes, and city officials recently adopted new restrictions on them.