E-Scooter Catches Fire, Trapping Man in Apartment Who Burns to Death

An e-scooter fatally trapped a man in his apartment after it exploded into flames.

A faulty lithium-ion battery ignited the scooter shortly after 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 16, in a second-floor apartment in the Brighton Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn, according to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY).

The fire and heat from the e-scooter were so intense that they prevented a 69-year-old man from escaping his unit, said FDNY Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn.

Another man, 35, and a woman, 32, who were also at home attempted to extinguish the fire, which is not advised when it involves a battery.

“They attempted to extinguish the fire (and) they were able to escape with minor injuries,” Flynn told the New York Post, adding that they were both hospitalized.

“There were two children as well that self-evacuated that did not sustain injuries.”

The blaze was extinguished around 4:30 a.m. after more than 60 firefighters and emergency responders arrived at the scene. Officials noted that a smoke detector had been removed from the apartment.

“I would say that we were kind of lucky that we were able to do that as quickly as we did, considering the heavy fire condition, with minor injuries,” FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito told the newspaper.

A firefighter was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Images of the burned e-scooter were also shared.

The identity of the elderly man has not been released at this time.

FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker stated that this is the fourth death in the city involving a hazardous device, emphasizing that lithium-ion batteries sold by unregulated sellers are posing a serious risk to lives.

Officials noted that standard fire extinguishers are not very effective in extinguishing fires caused by lithium-ion batteries.