Bronx Teen Dies in Battery Fire

Lithium-ion batteries have caused over 200 fires in New York City so far this year. On Wednesday, one such device was linked to a blaze at the Patterson Houses that killed a teenage boy and injured four others.

Calls to the FDNY came just before 1 a.m. reporting flames on the 11th floor of the Morris Avenue building. More than 100 fire and EMS workers arrived on the scene to battle the fire. Firefighters rescued five residents from the building during the response.

Three boys, all estimated to be in their early to mid-teens, were transported to local hospitals. Two were taken to Jacobi Hospital, where one died and the other remains in critical condition. A third boy was transported to Lincoln Hospital. Two adults, a 37-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman, were also hospitalized in critical condition.

Investigators have not yet determined a definitive cause for the fire. However, they noted that hazmat teams were required on site due to a lithium-ion battery. A neighbor described the scene to reporters, stating the battery was plugged in near a stove in the kitchen. She said the device exploded and blocked the entrance, trapping a father who was attempting to escape with his family.

The FDNY held a news conference in July urging residents to store these devices outside their apartments. That announcement followed data showing a record number of lithium-ion battery fires in the city for that point in the year.