The overnight fires inside Bike & Scooter on West 38th Street highlighted the difficulties of fighting blazes fueled by e-bike batteries.
"We had a second fire that started in the basement, due to the water from the fire and the sprinkler activation, which then bled onto the other batteries that were being stored in the basement, causing them to have a second fire," FDNY Chief Brian Gorman said.
Hundreds of batteries were being stored in "a very significant charging and storage location, and extremely dangerous."
Many of the lithium-ion batteries discovered in the store were heated and damaged during the blaze, making them unstable and prone to catching fire.
Fire investigators said they have been to the store numerous times, writing the "appropriate violations" each time.
"We returned to reinspect many times, and we issued violations as warranted," Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Fynn said. "It is frustrating, we served them the appropriate violations each time and we continue to come back to make sure they are making progress and not acting recklessly. We are enforcing the laws that are on the books right now."
The shop rents out e-bikes, scooters and pedal bikes and also stores e-bikes and scooters for delivery workers in Midtown. Many delivery worker bikes are stored in the basement.
One firefighter suffered a minor injury and was taken to Lenox Health Greenwich Village.
"Uncertified or malfunctioning lithium-ion batteries being stored in buildings can be ticking time bombs, especially when left charging unsupervised, and people can be badly injured or killed," said FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker. "We want everyone to be extremely cautious with how they charge these batteries and how they store them in their apartments or houses - regardless if they are certified or not. The public should make sure that they're not near doors or windows or points of egress. Most importantly, residents should charge and store them outside where possible. All lithium-ion batteries have the potential to explode."
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