A child died and four people were seriously injured in the fire of an apartment in the Bronx, caused by the lithium-ion battery of an electric bicycle. It happened in the early hours of yesterday, Wednesday 28 October, at the eleventh floor of the Patterson Houses, a public building complex in the district of Mott Haven. According to the firefighters, the bicycle was near the entrance door and the flames prevented the occupants from leaving the house. It is the sixth death caused this year in New York by fires related to lithium batteries.
The alarm arrived around 00:50 from a building of thirteen floors at 320 Morris Avenue. The first means of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) came to the place in less than four minutes. When the firemen forced the door of the apartment, they found themselves in front of a fire already very extensive, developed in the kitchen, immediately next to the entrance. To reach trapped people, they had to cross the fire and smoke before they could intervene directly on the flames.
There were five people in the apartment. An 11-year-old boy died despite his help. Two teenagers and two adults were transported to the hospital in critical conditions, with serious consequences due to burns and smoke inhalation. The age of the victim and the conditions of the wounded were confirmed by the mayor Zohran Mamdani and the fire department Lillian Bonsignore during an official press conference of the Municipality, in which the first moments of the intervention were reconstructed.
38 units and about 120 firefighters and health personnel participated in the intervention. The fire was brought under control around two in the morning. According to Mamdani, only the apartment where the flames developed required the clearing, while the other residents of the building could remain in their homes. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), which manages the complex, has started the checks on damages and assistance to the people involved.
The cause identified by investigators is a lithium-ion battery installed on an e-bike. The bike was located in the kitchen, along the only way out of the apartment. Commissioner Bonsignore explained that the position of the vehicle made it impossible for the occupants to reach the door safely. However, the authorities did not publicly establish whether the battery was connected to the charger when the fire broke out or what failure caused overheating.
Lithium-ion battery fires can develop much faster than those involving other household items. When a cell suffers a failure, a phenomenon called thermal runaway, or thermal escape may occur: the temperature increases uncontrolledly and the heat can spread to the neighboring cells, producing intense flames and flammable gases. FDNY head, John Esposito, explained that a normal portable fire extinguisher is not enough to control a fire like this when it involves the battery of an electric vehicle. The department has published a page dedicated to the risks and prevention of fires caused by lithium batteries, with information materials available in different languages.
The problem is particularly relevant in New York, where bicycles and electric scooters have become instruments of daily transport and, for many workers of deliveries, indispensable means to earn a living. However, their distribution has increased the number of batteries stored and recharged inside the houses, often in small apartments and without dedicated spaces. The risk grows when damaged components, incompatible chargers or modified batteries are used and without security certifications.
The data released on Wednesday by FDNY show the size of the phenomenon. Since the beginning of 2026, lithium-ion batteries have caused 401 fires, 74 wounded and six dead in the city. 292 fires, 51 wounded and a death were recorded throughout 2025. The comparison therefore covers periods of different duration, but evidences that, before the end of October, the number of fires and victims exceeded that of the previous year.
After the tragedy, the New York State Attorney General, Letitia James, published a new notice on the safety of e-bike batteries. The Prosecutor’s office recommends that you buy bicycles and batteries from reliable manufacturers, use only compatible chargers and periodically check that the accumulators do not have swellings, color alterations, losses or unusual smells. In the presence of these signals it is necessary to interrupt their use and call 911 if there is an immediate danger.
The indications of the firefighters concern above all the place and moment of charging. Batteries should not be left connected to the current during the night or when no one can monitor them. Bicycles, scooters and accumulators must never occupy doors, corridors or other escape routes. When possible, the FDNY recommends using external spaces or specially equipped areas, avoiding storing devices in the rooms where you sleep. The city has also established certification requirements for the sale of e-bikes and batteries, which must comply with specific safety standards.
The question also concerns the rules of public housing. In 2024, NYCHA had evaluated to completely ban e-bikes in its buildings, but after comparing the tenants had adopted a less restrictive solution. The provisions entered into force on 1 March 2024 allow only one electric bicycle to be recharged at the time within the apartment, provided it is far from the exit routes, connected directly to a wall socket and supervised by an adult awake and present adult. During the press conference, the head of NYCHA, Lisa Bova-Hiatt, recalled these conditions and explained that their violation constitutes an infringement of the lease rules.
The mayor Mamdani said that the Municipality will assess new solutions to make safer the conservation of electric bicycles in residential buildings, including any dedicated areas. The difficulty is to find a balance between the safety of the apartments and the needs of those who use these means to work and does not have a garage or an outdoor space.
Batteries disposal also requires precautions. The Office of the Attorney General recalls that they cannot be thrown into the domestic trash or into the normal containers for separate collection, because they can cause fires in waste trucks and treatment plants. They must be delivered to authorized collection points. The NYC311 municipal service explains the rules to preserve, recharge and dispose of batteries and indicates how to signal dangerous situations.
The fire of the Patterson Houses brings attention to a risk already known by the city authorities, but which continues to cause victims. In this case the position of the bicycle was decisive: the fire broke out just at the point where people in the apartment should have been saved. This is why, in addition to the quality of batteries and charging modes, firefighters insist on a simple precaution: always keep the exit routes free.
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