WASHINGTON — A man is in the hospital with serious injuries after a battery from an electric bike sparked a fire in his home.
D.C. Fire and EMS responded to a call about smoke coming from a rowhome on Irving Street in N.W. around 7 p.m. Thursday evening. When teams arrived they said the flames had extended to the roof’s skylight.
One man was rescued by firefighters, he was taken to the hospital in serious, but stable condition. When asked for an update on his current status, D.C. Fire officials said they don’t know the victim’s current condition.
Five additional people are without a home due to the fire.
After further investigation, officials say lithium-ion batteries for an e-bike were the cause of the fire. It is unclear if the bike was charging when it combusted or if there could have been a manufacturer issue.
While e-bikes have become extremely popular as an eco-friendly form of transportation amongst metropolitan cities such as D.C. and New York, the batteries that power them have been labeled as "dangerous" and "unstable". According to the Associated Press, more than 200 house fires have been caused by lithium-ion batteries spanning 39 states over the last two years. New York City reported 108 fires caused by lithium-ion batteries that resulted in 13 deaths this year alone.
For this reason, D.C. fire officials are urging residents to follow the safety procedures when it comes to those batteries.
