Ten people died in two New York City home fires in eight days. Fire officials said an e-bike battery caused the first, a blaze in the Bronx that killed four members of one family. In the second, a lithium-ion battery was found at the scene of a Brooklyn house fire that killed six people, though the cause remains under investigation.
The deaths are part of a sharp rise in lithium-ion battery fires in homes and apartment buildings across the U.S. and Canada. The batteries power e-bikes, scooters, phones, laptops, power tools and power banks. When one fails, it can fill a room with fire and toxic gas in seconds.
Fire fighters see the damage firsthand. The IAFF is pushing for stronger safety standards on both sides of the border, including a national lithium-ion battery safety initiative in Canada.
Here’s what is behind the rise in lithium-ion battery fires, what governments are doing, and how to keep your home safe.
The latest lithium-ion battery fires
What happened in New York City this week?
Bronx, Oct. 28. Fire broke out just before 1 a.m. in an 11th-floor apartment at the Patterson Houses, a public housing complex in Mott Haven. Fire officials said an e-bike in the kitchen near the entrance made it impossible for the family to get out safely. Fire fighters found one victim directly behind the door. A boy died that morning. Two teenagers and a 33-year-old woman died of their injuries in the days that followed. A 37-year-old man survived.
Brooklyn, Nov. 5. A three-alarm fire tore through a two-story home on 58th Street in Sunset Park around 1:40 a.m. Six people died and seven were hurt, including three fire fighters. It took more than 200 fire fighters almost three hours to bring the fire under control. Officials said a lithium-ion battery was found at the scene but said it is too early to know whether it caused the fire. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the cause remains under investigation.
The two fires came as battery fires in the city surged. As of late October, lithium-ion batteries had sparked 401 fires in the five boroughs in 2026, up from 292 in all of 2025, Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said. Those fires injured 74 people and killed six, compared with 51 injuries and one death last year.
The spike reverses years of progress. Battery fires killed 18 New Yorkers in 2023, six in 2024 and one in 2025.
Where else are lithium-ion battery fires happening?
New York is not alone. Across North America, fire departments report more battery fires every year.
- Toronto: Fire crews had responded to 108 lithium-ion battery fires by early October. On Oct. 22, a battery caught fire and exploded in a Toronto Community Housing high-rise in North York, sending one man to the hospital with serious injuries. Two weeks earlier, fire fighters rescued two people and three dogs from a Regent Park apartment where several e-bikes were stored.
- Edmonton: Crews have responded to 22 battery-related fires this year that caused one death and more than $2.1 million in damage.
- Ottawa: A family lost their Stittsville home in March after a power bank charging a phone in a bed caught fire. Damage was estimated at $750,000.
- Queens and Brooklyn: Earlier this year, a Queens man died after a battery charging in his basement kitchen exploded, and an 18-year-old died after charging an e-bike battery inside his Brooklyn apartment.
Why lithium-ion battery fires are so dangerous
What is thermal runaway?
Thermal runaway is a chain reaction inside a damaged or faulty battery. One cell overheats, and that heat spreads to the cells around it. The process feeds itself and is very hard to stop.
According to the IAFF’s 2026 Canadian legislative priorities, a cell in thermal runaway can top 700°C (about 1,300°F). It releases toxic gases, including hydrogen fluoride and carbon monoxide, along with heavy metals and flying debris. A battery can reignite hours or even days after fire fighters put out the flames.
What causes a lithium-ion battery to catch fire?
Most lithium-ion batteries work safely. The risk climbs sharply when a battery is:
- Damaged from a drop, crash, or puncture
- Uncertified or cheaply made, with no mark from a recognized testing lab
- Charged with the wrong charger, including mismatched aftermarket chargers
- Overcharged or left plugged in long after it is full
- Modified or repaired by someone who is not qualified
- Thrown in the trash or regular recycling, where it can be crushed
The IAFF notes that unauthorized modifications, overcharging, improper disposal, and physical damage all raise the risk of thermal runaway.
Why are these fires so dangerous for fire fighters?
Lithium-ion battery fires burn hotter, last longer, and produce highly toxic smoke than most household fires. They can explode with little warning. Because a battery can reignite, crews may need to stay on scene long after the flames are out.
Lithium-ion battery fires burn intensely, last longer than most fires, and release toxic fumes, putting fire fighters and the public at risk.
IAFF General President Edward Kelly
Lithium-ion battery fires in Canada
How fast are battery fires rising in Canada?
The numbers are climbing in nearly every major city:
- Toronto: a 591% increase between 2020 and 2024, with 2026 running 43% ahead of last year as of late September
- Vancouver: a 500% rise since 2016
- Montreal: a 195% rise since the city began tracking these fires in 2022
Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop has called battery fires “the fastest-growing public fire safety risk” in Canada’s largest city.
No one knows the full national total. Canadian fire departments do not track these fires the same way. The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs estimates about 1,500 lithium battery fires in 600 communities last year. That gap in the data is one of the problems the IAFF wants fixed.
What is the IAFF asking the federal government to do?
Passing a national lithium-ion battery safety framework is one of the IAFF’s top Canadian legislative priorities. At the 33rd Canadian Legislative Conference in Ottawa in April, IAFF leaders met with Prime Minister Mark Carney and members of Parliament from every party to press the issue.
- Establish a National Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Fighter Safety Initiative
- Create a mandatory national database to track every lithium-ion battery fire
- Fund research on fire fighter exposures and health risks
- Standardize training and response protocols across the country
- Update building and product safety codes
- Invest in protective equipment and new suppression technology
Today, Canada has no single mandatory safety standard that lithium-ion batteries must meet.
Our job is dangerous and the risks are constantly evolving. Policy hasn’t kept pace. The gaps are clear, but so are the solutions.
IAFF General President Edward Kelly
Vancouver BC Local 18 President Katrina Davison, who helped bring the issue to the IAFF’s legislative agenda, said a national initiative would protect fire fighters and the public alike.
This initiative would improve fire fighter safety during lithium battery fire incidents, support evidence-based firefighter health protections, enhance Canada’s preparedness for emerging fire risks and ensure the safe integration of electrification technologies into communities across the country.
Vancouver BC Local 18 President Katrina Davison
What is Health Canada doing?
Health Canada has proposed the country’s first mandatory safety requirements for lithium-ion batteries and the consumer products that use them. The rules would fall under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act.
The agency received 924 reports of lithium-ion battery incidents from 2013 to 2023. It says that figure likely understates the problem. A public pre-consultation closed Feb. 14. Any formal proposal would be published in the Canada Gazette for further comment.
Lithium-ion battery safety rules in the United States
Is there a federal safety standard for e-bike batteries?
Not yet. Two efforts are moving in Washington.
- The Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act. The IAFF-backed bill would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to set a mandatory safety rule for batteries in e-bikes, e-scooters and other micromobility devices. The House passed it in April 2025. The Senate version awaits a floor vote. The bill would build on safety standards set jointly by U.S. and Canadian standards groups and UL.
- A proposed CPSC rule. In June, the commission proposed a mandatory standard for micromobility batteries and their electrical systems. Its staff found that today’s voluntary standards do not go far enough. The CPSC tied 227 incidents from 2019 to 2023 to these batteries, with 39 deaths and 181 injuries. The comment period has closed, and the commission must now decide whether to issue a final rule.
How has New York City responded?
Since September 2023, Local Law 39 has barred the sale, lease, or rental of e-bikes, e-scooters, and batteries that are not certified to UL safety standards. Battery fire deaths in the city fell sharply after the law took effect, from 18 in 2023 to one in 2025.
This year’s surge shows how quickly that progress can slip. The FDNY now urges New Yorkers to charge and store e-bikes outside when possible, never charge them overnight and never block an exit.
How to keep your home safe from lithium-ion battery fires
Fire fighters say most battery fires can be prevented. These steps come from the IAFF, the FDNY, and the National Fire Protection Association.
Buy certified products
- Look for a mark from a nationally recognized testing lab on the product and packaging
- For e-bikes, check that the whole electrical system is certified to UL 2849, not just the battery
- Buy replacement batteries and chargers only from the manufacturer or a seller it approves
- Skip bargain batteries sold online with no safety certification
Charge batteries safely
- Use the charger that came with the device
- Plug chargers directly into a wall outlet, not an extension cord or power strip
- Never charge a device overnight, while you sleep or while you are away from home
- Charge on a hard surface, never on a bed, couch or under a pillow
- Uplug the device once it is fully charged
- Charge and store e-bikes and scooters outside when you can, out of direct sunlight
Store batteries the right way
- Never park an e-bike or scooter in a hallway, doorway or near an exit
- Keep loose batteries at least 2 feet apart and away from anything that can burn
- Store batteries at room temperature
- Stop using any battery that has been dropped, crushed or damaged
- Never modify or repair a battery yourself; use a certified repair shop
The Bronx fire shows why placement matters. Fire officials said the e-bike sat near the apartment’s entrance and blocked the family’s only safe way out.
Dispose of old batteries properly
- Never put lithium-ion batteries in the trash or a regular recycling bin, where they can be crushed and catch fire
- Tape over the terminals before you drop them off, so they cannot spark against other batteries
- Take them to a battery recycling drop-off site; Call2Recycle lists locations in the U.S. and Canada
What to do if a battery overheats or catches fire
- Get everyone out right away and close the door behind you
- Call 911 once you are outside
- Do not try to put out the fire yourself; battery fires spread fast and can reignite
- Do not go back inside for belongings
Fire departments and IAFF affiliates can share these tips with free lithium-ion battery safety graphics from the IAFF.
Frequently asked questions
What causes lithium-ion battery fires?
Most start with thermal runaway, a chain reaction that makes a battery cell overheat and spread heat to nearby cells. Damage, cheap uncertified batteries, the wrong charger, overcharging and unsafe repairs all raise the risk.
How many lithium-ion battery fires has New York City had in 2026?
As of late October, lithium-ion batteries had caused 401 fires in New York City in 2026, according to the FDNY. That is up from 292 in all of 2025. Those fires had injured 74 people and killed six.
Is it safe to charge an e-bike overnight?
No. The IAFF has warned against charging e-bikes and other battery-powered devices overnight or while you sleep. Charge them while you are awake and nearby, and unplug them once they are full.
What is the IAFF asking Canada to do about lithium-ion battery fires?
The IAFF wants the federal government to create a National Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Fighter Safety Initiative. It would include a mandatory national database of battery fires, research on fire fighter exposures, standard training, updated building and product codes, and funding for protective equipment.
How do I throw away a lithium-ion battery?
Never put it in the trash or regular recycling. Tape over the terminals and take it to a battery recycling drop-off site. Call2Recycle lists drop-off locations across the U.S. and Canada.
