An electric bicycle sparked a massive, hours-long fire that engulfed a Bronx grocery store and injured seven people — two of them seriously — on Sunday, officials said.
An emergency medical services employee and a civilian were seriously injured when flames broke out around 10:40 a.m. at the Concourse Food Plaza at 2096 Grand Concourse in the West Bronx section, officials said. Five firefighters were slightly injured.
The rapid fire was blamed on a scooter’s lithium-ion battery and grew to five alarms, requiring more than 50 units and more than 200 firefighters to extinguish.
Mayor Adams attended the scene and used the incident to draw attention to the batteries, which have sparked a series of recent fires in the city, some of them fatal.
“We have witnessed this time and time again, and that is why we will continue to amplify the message that a simple device like this, this charred scooter, is just a symbol of what is happening. behind us and what has continued to take place since early this morning,” Adams said Sunday afternoon. “We are still fighting the fire because of the type of device the fire started from.”
Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said the bike caused “extraordinary damage.
“This whole building behind me is completely destroyed,” Kavanagh said. “The roof collapsed. There is nothing left. And all thanks to this unique bike.
Firefighters could be seen transporting the burned bike away from the scene.
Fires caused by e-bike batteries killed six people in the city in 2022, officials said. The fires were among 219 started by the batteries last year and injured 147 more.
