‘Enough is enough’: rising number of deadly ebike battery fires spark fear in New York City

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City has failed to build infrastructure that could reduce threat, and saw 400 fires, 83 injuries and 12 deaths this yearFires from lithium-ion batteries, which power ebikes and…

City has failed to build infrastructure that could reduce threat, and saw 400 fires, 83 injuries and 12 deaths this year

Fires from lithium-ion batteries, which power ebikes and scooters, have become regular occurrences in New York, causing deaths and fear among residents, but the city has failed to build infrastructure that could reduce the threat.

New York has seen a dramatic uptick this year in fires from the batteries. In 2025, there were 292 fires, 51 injuries and one death, according to the New York fire department (FDNY). This year, there have already been more than 400 fires, 83 injuries and 12 deaths.

In late October, four members of a family, including an 11-year-old boy, died in a fire caused by a battery in an ebike that was in the pathway to an exit of an 11th floor apartment in a public housing building in the Bronx.

Then recently in a fire at a home in Brooklyn, six people died and nine were injured, including three firefighters and two police officers. Investigators discovered lithium-ion batteries at the scene but have not determined whether they caused the fire, the city council speaker, Julie Menin, said in a statement.

“The presence of lithium-ion batteries at the scene is a serious concern, and more must be done to encourage and mandate safe storage practices. Enough is enough,” Menin stated.

London and Toronto have also recently seen a dramatic increase in lithium-ion battery fires, which are often caused by overcharging and defective or damaged batteries.

Some of that trend is simply because ebikes, often used by food delivery workers and commuters, have become more popular.

But in New York, the city has not executed its plan to build outdoor charging stations which would prevent people from plugging in the batteries in their apartments, where an overheated or defective battery poses a greater risk, experts say.

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