Chinatown e-bike shop shuts down after dangerous battery incident
CHINATOWN, N.Y. - More than a hundred lithium-ion batteries are sitting inside an e-bike shop in Chinatown.
The video from FDNY shows flammable batteries plugged into power strips and thrown around a basement. The FDNY says it was nothing short of a ticking time bomb.
The video was taken at an e-bike shop at 91 Canal Street. FDNY officials have been giving surprise inspections at these shops after a bike shop just a few blocks away from a shop that caught fire last week killing 4 people. The blaze was sparked by lithium-ion batteries.
FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh says at least 115 lithium-ion batteries were removed from this shop and the business was issued multiple summonses before being shut down. Some of the batteries caught fire as soon as they were placed in those barrels.
"This inspection has saved lives but also gives us a moment to pause," said Kavanugh.
The city has put legislation in place to increase education on lithium-ion batteries and expand enforcement. The FDNY has responded with new protocols, but inspectors can only do so much before time runs out.
Featured
$25M grant secured to install e-bike charging stations in NYCHA sites
Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced in a Sunday press conference that emergency funding is on the way from Capitol Hill.
So far this year, the city has issued more than 500 summonses to local bike shops.
The inspection of this shop came from a tip last month from a resident.
Featured
NYC, FDNY stepping up e-bike safety efforts after deadly Chinatown fire
Four people were killed Tuesday following a fire at an e-bike repair store in Chinatown, the FDNY said.
If you see a situation that is unsafe, call 311.