Bronx fire sparked by possible lithium-ion battery renews calls for stricter rules, FDNY says

Thirteen people were injured in a five-alarm fire that tore through several Bronx homes Sunday night — a blaze fire marshals said was likely sparked by a lithium-ion battery.

City officials have since renewed calls to more tightly regulate or ban certain lithium-ion batteries, which have caused hundreds of fires across the city in recent years.

The fire began around 7:24 p.m. on the front porch of a wood-framed home at 2462 Devoe Terrace in the University Heights neighborhood. It quickly spread to buildings on either side, igniting homes at 2460 and 2464 Devoe Terrace as well.

“This is a stark reminder of the issues around lithium-ion batteries,” Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference Monday. “Each year, we have to have a constant reminder of the dangers of these batteries.”

Officials said there were approximately five lithium-ion-powered devices on the porch, two of which were charging. At least one was not UL certified, which is illegal to sell in New York City, officials said.

“We had heavy fire in that building," FDNY Chief of Operations Kevin Woods said. "Due to the amount of fire and the structural stability of these buildings, we had to pull our members out and go to an exterior attack with tower ladders. These buildings are over 115 years old, and there are many voids in the buildings.”

More than 200 firefighters and EMS personnel responded. Of the 13 people injured, eight were firefighters, Woods said. One firefighter who had been in critical condition was no longer intubated as of Monday afternoon, officials said.

“He is in good spirits,” Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry said. “He's not intubated anymore. He was up. He was talking. He couldn't wait to get back to go surfing.”

Adams joined FDNY officials in calling for tougher action on unsafe batteries.

“We are looking at every measure possible to remove these batteries off our street, particularly those who are not properly manufactured,” Adams said.

The mayor continued, "You should not have them in your household, you should not be charging them in your home, you should not have them at your exit or entranceway."

The city has already passed several laws aimed at curbing fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, including stricter rules on their sale and repair. Still, incidents remain common. Last year, a fire sparked by a lithium-ion battery killed a man in a building not far from Sunday’s fire.

The investigation into the exact cause of the latest fire remains ongoing, officials said.