New York Lithium-Battery Fires Up 68% This Year; City Council Calls Emergency Hearing for November 20
NEW YORK — The New York City Council announced on November 6 that it will hold an emergency hearing on November 20 into this year's surge in lithium-battery fires. Council Speaker Julie Menin said the immediate trigger was a November 5 fire in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, that killed six people. Law enforcement sources said lithium-ion batteries were found at the scene, though the Fire Department said on November 6 that the cause remains under investigation.
The council noted that New York City has recorded 406 battery-related fires so far this year, up 68% from 241 in the same period last year, and that lithium-ion batteries have caused 9 deaths and 70 injuries this year. Data from the Mayor's Management Report show 21,475 residential building fires in fiscal 2026, up 6% from the prior fiscal year.
Menin also cited an e-bike battery fire in the South Bronx last week that killed four members of a family, and called for urgent measures to prevent more tragedies.
Source: New York Post
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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