FDNY finds ‘ticking time bomb’ of e-bike batteries in NYC store as inspections ramp up

 The FDNY discovered a “ticking time bomb” of dozens of lithium-ion batteries in lower Manhattan this week — as the department ramped up inspections on e-bike shops in the wake of last week’s deadly blaze at one such store.

The “proactive” checks on at least 200 known e-bike and e-bike repair shops — plus more than a dozen new spots flagged by New Yorkers — led investigators to a commercial space on Canal Street where more than 115 of the dangerous batteries were discovered.

“This location was truly a death trap,” FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh said Thursday of the since-shuttered store — located just blocks from the storefront where four people were killed in the June 20 fire.

“We found multiple fire hazards, damaged batteries and overloaded power strips,” Kavanaugh said at a press conference at FDNY headquarters in Brooklyn.

“It was a ticking time bomb.”

Fire officials described the recently-closed location as a “swapping station” where delivery workers would either charge or swap out their drained batteries.

FDNY firefighters at the scene of a fire caused by e-bike batteries in Manhattan on June 21, 2023.

William Farrington

The FDNY investigators discovered a store with dozens of lithium-ion batteries on Canal Street in Manhattan.

William Farrington

Since the increased enforcement began last week, FDNY’s Fire Prevention unit conducted 38 inspections, 17 of which stemmed from new complaints and five were re-inspections.

The checks yielded 68 civil summonses, 13 violations and nine criminal summonses — as well as one shutdown order, according to fire officials.

In addition, fire companies conducted check-ins at 141 locations citywide, resulting in 24 violations and summonses.

The fire task force was called to four of those spots to handle serious violations.

“This is a life and death situation,” Kavanaugh warned. “Failure to comply with required safety practices can result in blood on your hands as we saw last week, and the fire department will do everything in its power to make sure you abide by the law.”

To any shop owners skirting the rules, she said: “We will find you and we will shut you down.”

The latest push against the illegal use of lithium-ion batteries comes after a series of fatal fires this year — most recently the deadly blaze at 80 Madison Street which left four people dead and two injured. 

FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh and Mayor Eric Adams examined damage from the fire on June 21. Kavanaugh called the store located just blocks away from the fire a “death trap.”

Matthew McDermott

The tragedy sparked tighter forms of enforcement against lithium-ion batteries, including Mayor Eric Adams unveiling his plan of having New Yorkers report their problems directly to 311. 

Fire officials said they have received more than a dozen calls from concerned citizens through 311 over the last week.

But it is unclear where the FDNY has taken action, with the reporting process bypassing the public 311 databases, making it impossible for the public to track the complaints, The Post revealed last week. 

E-bike battery fires killed caused more deaths this year than the 10 fatalities in 2022 and 2021 combined, fueling at least 94 fires so far in 2023. In March, the city heightened its regulation of lithium-ion batteries with the help of the E-task force — formed to inspect and hunt down illegal usage. 

“We are not kidding around as you can see here, we will continue to inspect and reinspect locations to ensure batteries are being used safely,” Kavanaugh stressed on Thursday. “We are trying to save lives and we need the public’s help.”

https://nypost.com/2023/06/29/fdny-finds-ticking-time-bomb-of-e-bike-batteries-in-nyc-store-as-it-ramps-up-inspections/