4 killed, 2 critical in fire at Chinatown e-bike repair store

CHINATOWN - Four people were killed, and two are in critical condition, following an overnight fire at an e-bike repair store in Chinatown, the FDNY said.

A deli worker on the corner called 911 just after midnight for a fire located at 80 Madison St. 

According to the FDNY, two men and two women died in the fire.

Two other women are at hospitals in critical condition, officials said. 

Officials said the shop was closed with nobody inside at the time the fire broke out, but heavy smoke trapped civilians living upstairs.

Firefighters battled the blaze overnight for hours before finally getting it under control.
 

The cause of the fire was sparked by an e-bike battery that exploded, according to officials. Firefighters were able to locate numerous lithium-ion batteries and e-bikes among the smoldering debris. 

"The volume of fire created by these lithium ion batteries is incredibly deadly," said FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh.

The shop where the fire originated was even on the FDNY's radar since 2021 after it received multiple summonses for faulty wiring and other safety violations such as selling uncertified batteries and allowing illegal charging. 

"We did inspect this property in August, and they were issued FDNY summonses. They were found guilty in court, and those were related to the charging of the batteries and the number of batteries that they had at the location," said FDNY Fire Marshal Chief Dan Flynn. 

One resident and an e-bike scooter owner told FOX 5 New York that the shop was a neighborhood fixture and never thought of any safety hazard there.

"I never seen that man work inside that shop, and I've been going there for three years and I live right up the block," Alberto Lugo said. 

"Sadly we lost four lives, and dozens of people have been displaced from their homes," said New York City Council member Christopher Marte.

Last year, the city council passed legislation to make sure only certified batteries are sold, but said more preventive action is clearly needed. 

"There are a lot of uncertified batteries still on the street and we're working with FDNY to make sure they're removed," Marte told FOX 5. 

Back in April, a teen and child were killed in a fire in Queens also sparked by an e-bike lithium-ion battery.

A father and his five children were at home when the battery exploded. The mother was not at home at the time, but sadly, a 19-year-old and 7-year-old brother and sister did not survive.

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According to the FDNY, an e-bike lithium-ion battery charging in the first floor vestibule near the door exploded, shooting flames up the stairs. Firefighters had arrived within three minutes. 

"The entire second floor was engulfed in flames," FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens said. "If this was not an e-bike fire, most likely, we would’ve been able to put this fire out without incident."

Mayor Eric Adams had unveiled a new plan in March to crack down on unregulated lithium-ion e-bike batteries and protect New Yorkers from the fires they have been causing.