FDNY Chief of Division John Hodgens stated it took his firefighters solely three minutes to reach on the Astoria, Queens residence. Nonetheless, with the fast-moving nature of e-bike fires and the actual fact the bike was being charged close to the entrance entrance of the multi-family constructing, the victims “didn’t have an opportunity to get out of the constructing” given the extreme fireplace that rapidly traveled up the steps to a second-floor house.

“So we bought right here in a short time. And if this was not a motorbike fireplace, most certainly we might have been capable of put this fireplace out with out incident. However the way in which these fires happen, it’s like an explosion of fireplace,” he advised reporters exterior the burned residence. “It’s an ongoing drawback. We implore all people to please be very cautious and conscious of the hazard of those gadgets.”

With Monday’s fireplace, there have been 5 fire-related deaths thus far this yr in New York Metropolis the place officers have stated the reason for the blaze was an e-bike. Thus far, there have been 59 e-bike-related fires this yr. Final yr there have been six e-bike-related fatalities.

Fireplace division officers stated a father and his 5 kids have been contained in the second-story house simply earlier than 2 p.m. when the fireplace occurred. The daddy and three of his kids have been capable of bounce from a window to security. The mom was not at residence on the time of the fireplace.

Hodgens stated it seems an extension wire was working from the higher house all the way down to what fireplace officers consider was an after-market charger for the bike, which was parked within the vestibule of the constructing. Hodgens stated whereas the bike was being charged on this case, there have been different fires involving bikes not being charged on the time.

Electrical bikes have turn out to be in style, non-gasoline-burning methods to make deliveries, commute and zip round a metropolis that has promoted biking in current many years.

New York Metropolis Fireplace Commissioner Laura Kavanagh urged residents to comply with all producer security pointers and proposals for e-bikes.

“We’re additionally calling on our federal, state and native companions to maneuver rapidly on rules that may assist guarantee tragedies like as we speak’s fireplace are prevented,” she stated in a press release. “We’re heartbroken for the household of those victims.”