November 15, 2023: Three generations of one family died in New York and 14 others were injured after a fire blamed on a lithium ion battery e-scooter on November 12.
Two destroyed e-scooters were found by firefighters after the Brooklyn blaze, the Fire Department of New York said.
Three members of the same family died after one of the scooters, believed to have been charging in the hallway of their home, burst into flames and sparked the fatal blaze.
The latest blaze comes after the city experienced 219 fires caused by lithium ion powered e-bikes, e-scooters and other electric micro mobility devices in 2022, leading to six deaths and 147 injuries.
New York City fire commissioner Laura Kavanagh (pictured above) said “illegal, uncertified” e-mobility devices continue to be ticking timebombs for NY and other cities and she called for online retailers to ban the sale of lithium battery devices that are not certified by a US national testing laboratory.
Kavanagh also urged food service delivery app bosses to ensure devices used by their delivery staff were certified as safe to be used.
In February, Kavanagh urged US consumer safety chiefs to do more to keep substandard lithium ion batteries out of the country and regulate chargers and e-bikes.
In July, a new multi-agency fire safety taskforce was ordered to spearhead inspections of ESS sites across New York State.