By Colin Mixson
New York Daily News
NEW YORK — New York City recorded its first fatality related to a lithium-ion battery fire this year when a 48-year-old Queens man who scrambled out a window to escape a massive blaze sparked by an e-bike battery died in the hospital, fire officials said Wednesday.
The fire ignited after a battery charging in the kitchen of a basement apartment at the two-story home on 91st Ave. near 172nd St. in Jamaica exploded about 12:14 a.m. on June 26, according to FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Daniel Flynn.
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Medics rushed four victims to Nassau County Medical Center, including two with serious injuries.
The victim, who was not immediately identified, was in his bedroom when the fire cut off his access to the main entrance, Flynn said.
Residents were able to escape from a rear window, but the victim waited for his family to exit before leaving and sustained serious injuries. He died in the hospital about two weeks later, fire officials said. The fire was declared fatal on Saturday, officials said.
Flynn said the e-bike the battery powered had been left outside, but the tenant took the battery into the apartment to charge it.
The tenant had left it charging “between the front door and (the victim’s bedroom), which precluded the occupants from escaping safely from the home.”
Deaths related to lithium-ion battery fires have steadily decreased in New York City since explosions caused by the devices killed 18 people in 2023. In 2024, six people died due to battery fires, while only one person was killed in a lithium-ion battery fire in 2025.
While the death in the Queens fire is the first battery-fire-related death of 2026, Flynn said the number of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries has increased about 70% this year, up 235 as compared to 138 at the same time in 2025.
“We want to remind New Yorkers that Lithium-ion batteries are still a cause for concern,” Flynn said at a press conference Wednesday.
FDNY Chief Fire Marshal Michael Kavanagh noted at the press conference that an increasing number of battery-related fires are happening outdoors, with 137 non-structural fires in 2026 as compared to 48 at this time last year.
“The biggest change is where we’re seeing these fires happening,” said Kavanagh. “These non-structural fires are occurring outside of buildings, businesses and homes. That’s driving the overall increase in incidents.”
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