what to know
- Patient numbers rose again on Monday, with city officials announcing a total of 46 civilians, firefighters and police officers were injured.
- Officials were investigating whether the 37-story condo had a fire alarm, if any doors were left open, and other questions.
- Neighbors began raising money for the tenants who lived in the apartment in the fire, many of whom lost everything they owned.
NEW YORK – It’s hard for Tony Manasseh to think about Saturday’s fire.
The downtown skyscraper where he lives caught fire after FDNY investigators said a faulty lithium-ion battery connected to an electric bike caused a spark on the 20th floor.
“Until I opened the door for my wife and I to get out, enough smoke came in to set off the alarm,” Manesseh recalled. “One thing we have to say is that the firefighters were heroic.”
FDNY officials said they found at least five electric bicycles inside the apartment where the afternoon fire broke out. Outside the 37-story building on Manhattan’s East 52nd Street, several signs say that electric bicycles are not allowed.
Many of those living inside the building told our sister network NBC 4 that they were aware of multiple bicycles in the apartment that caught fire on Saturday and that previous complaints had been filed.
“We have that sign right there, but people have it [bicicletas eléctricas] and the 20F thing was not unknown, people knew they had bikes there, “tenant Helen Fuller said.
“Someone else was out on an electric scooter today and got some scolding from some other backyard residents and didn’t seem too worried about it,” Ali Gold said Monday.
When the firefighters returned to the building for the third day, some tenants started packing their bags for permanent relocation and others were wondering what to do after losing everything. Neighbors started raising money to help everyone on the 20th floor.
“We are more concerned about our neighbors who are displaced than ourselves right now, as we are lucky enough to get along smoothly,” Gold added.
Several tenants of the building came together via a group message to support each other, especially since many said they didn’t hear from their management company.
Manasseh wonders why there wasn’t a loudspeaker or other type of alarm to alert more people in the building as the smoke from the fire traveled down the hall.
MDM Management, the owner of the building, declined to comment when he was contacted by phone twice on Monday. In-person consultations with building office staff were also denied.
In an updated patient count, firefighters said Monday that a total of 46 civilians, firefighters and police officers were injured. Two civilians were taken to hospital in critical condition and two in serious condition.
Authorities investigated whether the 37-story condominium had a fire alarm, if any doors were left open, and other questions. Authorities have identified the cause of the fire in a lithium-ion battery related to a “micromobility” device, a term for electric bicycles, electric scooters and other items that help people get around.
Fire Chief Daniel Flynn said there were at least five bicycles in the apartment where the fire broke out. Investigators believe an occupant repaired the bike, Flynn said.
Across the city, nearly 200 fires and six fire deaths this year have been linked to batteries in “micromobility” devices, marking an “exponential increase” in such fires in recent years, Flynn said at a news conference.
Among the victims: an 8-year-old girl who died when an electric scooter battery started a fire in Queens in September, and a woman and a 5-year-old girl who died in Harlem in August of a fire attributed to a scooter. battery.
Firefighters have repeatedly urged users of such batteries to follow the manufacturer’s charging and storage instructions, use only the manufacturer’s cord and power supply, discontinue use of the battery if it overheats, and follow other safety guidelines .
“We will be out in this community and communities across the city in the days and weeks to come, handing out fire safety information, handing out smoke alarms,” FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said at a news conference Saturday.
“But we also want to highlight the growing cause of electric bicycle fires and make sure families make sure they follow the safest way possible to use them, including not charging them overnight when they sleep, also making sure they are certified and that the batteries they they are using are not damaged in any way.
