NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A charging battery for an e-scooter caused a house fire in Queens early Wednesday morning that killed a 9-year-old boy and left at least 11 others injured, according to the FDNY.
FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the boy’s family had just moved into the multi-story home on 102nd Road in Ozone Park this week and that the batteries were being charged overnight.
The batteries ignited or exploded, sparking the fire and trapping the boy, Nigro said.
“The boy wakes up and has no way out,” he said. “This fire had already advanced, blocking his way.”
The commissioner said the boy was in a converted apartment in a garage with no smoke detector. Fire marshals are investigating the possibility that the apartment was an illegal conversion.
The FDNY received calls around 2 a.m. about multiple residents, including many children, trapped in the fire. Firefighters quickly arrived and brought the fire under control, but they discovered the boy unresponsive in a below-grade area as they rescued residents.
EMS pronounced the boy dead at the scene. He was identified as Remi Miguel Gomez Hernandez.
Nigro said the boy’s father tried multiple times to rescue him, “but he was unable to get down to save his son.”
Fourteen people were removed from the multi-story home, and at least 10 of them were injured, including the boy’s father, who was burned. Most of the other injuries were smoke inhalation, Nigro said. The injured were taken to Jamaica Hospital along with a firefighter, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Nigro said 60 fires in structures across the city have been started by e-bike batteries over the past year.
“This is a new phenomenon in the city, and we really need to get a handle on it,” the commissioner said. “It’s just skyrocketed now.”
Nigro said people should not charge e-bike batteries overnight and that they should not charge them near a door because a fire could block their exit.
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