Teen, child killed in Queens fire sparked by e-bike lithium-ion battery

Fatal fire

FOX 5 NY's Linda Schmidt has the story.

ASTORIA, QUEENS - A father and his five children were at home in Queens when an e-bike lithium-ion battery exploded. The mother was not at home at the time, but sadly, a 19-year-old and 7-year-old brother and sister did not survive.

"I heard someone screaming help my house, help my house," neighbor Teddy Alafogiannis said.

That’s when three good Samaritans rushed to help the family trying to escape the intense flames and smoke.

Scene of the fire in Astoria. (Citizen App)

Video captured the fast-moving fire in the second-floor apartment on 46th St. in Astoria.

"It was just jump, jump. We got you. Don’t worry, just jump," Alafogiannis said.

Scene of the fire in Astoria. (Citizen App)

Auyoub Boussaid was painting a house across the street around 2:15 p.m.

"I was trying to go in, but when I opened the door, the fire hit my face."

Boussaid, Alafogiannis and another neighbor saved the father and three children, but a 19-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy did not make it out.

According to the FDNY, an e-bike lithium-ion battery charging in the first floor vestibule near the door exploded, shooting flames up the stairs. Firefighters arrived within three minutes.

"The entire second floor was engulfed in flames," FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said. "If this was not an e-bike fire, most likely, we would’ve been able to put this fire out without incident."

The FDNY said it's the 59th lithium-ion battery fire so far this year, bringing the total number of deaths to five.

INTERVIEW: FDNY commissioner

FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh joined Good Day New York.

Mayor Eric Adams unveiled a new plan last month to crack down on unregulated lithium-ion e-bike batteries and protect New Yorkers from the fires they have been causing.

Adams' new plan called "Charge Safe, Ride Safe" aims to promote and incentivize safe battery use, offering secure e-bike charging and storage stations across the city.

It will also seek to increase education and outreach to electric micro-mobility users, advocate for additional federal device regulation, and expand enforcement against high-risk situations.

Mayor Adams signs new bills to regulate lithium-ion batteries

New laws are now on the books in New York City to try and prevent fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.

Adams also signed a package of bills from the New York City Council, including a ban on the sale, lease or rental of e-bike and e-scooter batteries that fail to meet industry safety standards.

The FDNY will also launch a safety education campaign for e-bike and e-scooter delivery workers and provide an annual report on fires connected to lithium-ion batteries.