1 Dead, Several Injured in N.Y.C. Fire Sparked by E-Bike's Lithium-Ion Battery

The fire broke out around 7 p.m. local time Sunday in a 10th-floor apartment on Bronx River Avenue in Soundview, fire officials said, according tothe Associated PressandFOX affiliate WNYW.

Four others were treated for minor injuries, authorities said, per the AP and WNYW. Additionally, another two individuals sustainedserious, life-threatening injuriesas a result of the fire, a spokesperson for the New York City Fire Department told the AP.

According to the AP and WNYW, an e-bike was found near the apartment’s entrance.

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The FDNY did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

This is the 18th lithium ion battery-related death in New York City this year, per the reports. Sunday’s fire comes three weeks after a lithium-ion batterysparked a firein a Brooklyn neighborhood that reportedly left three people dead and 14 others injured, including a firefighter.

To avoid deadly fires,the FDNY recommendscharging items with lithium-ion batteries away from exits and hallways. They also recommend using batteries and charging tools that are specifically approved for the given product.

The department suggests plugging devices directly into the wall to charge them — not extension cords, power strips or anything similar — and keeping at least two-feet separation between charging devices or batteries for every 20 kilowatt-hours, or three feet for every 50 kWh.

source: people.com