NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A dozen people were injured over the course of 24 hours in four different fires caused by the lithium ion batteries used in e-bikes on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the FDNY.
The fires in Chelsea, Inwood, East Harlem and Kesnington damaged a house, a car, multiple apartment buildings and four e-bikes.
The most destructive of the fires took place on East 9th Street near Cortelyou Road in Kensington around 4 a.m. on Thursday.
An e-bike battery caused a three-alarm fire that gutted a house and damaged the back of a nearby building.
It took over 100 firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze.
Seven people were injured in the fire and treated at the scene.
The first fire began when a battery exploded on the third floor of a nine-story apartment building on W. 23rd Street near Seventh Avenue in Chelsea just after 7 a.m. on Wednesday.
One resident was injured from smoke inhalation.
At E. 125th St. and Park Ave. in East Harlem around 4: 30 p.m. later that day, the fire on a burning e-bike spread to a nearby car. No one was injured.
On the fifth floor of a six story apartment building near W. 172nd Street and Fort Washington Avenue in Washington Heights, a fire started by an e-bike battery just before 6:30 a.m. on Thursday injured four people.
Emergency responders took them to New York Presbyterian Hospital and Harlem Hospital.
Last year, e-bike batteries caused 104 fires, injured 79 people and killed four, according to FDNY statistics.
The batteries have caused over 40 fires already this year, injuring 20 and killing one.
The FDNY recommends only using charging cords issued by the manufacturer, keeping batteries away from flammable items and storing e-bikes out of direct sunlight in order to prevent fires.
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