Posted on 11/06/2022 9:54:40 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities on Sunday were investigating a New York City high-rise fire that injured over three dozen people and was traced to a faulty lithium-ion battery, the latest in a fast-growing series of battery blazes that have fire officials concerned.
Authorities have pinpointed the cause of the blaze as a lithium-ion battery related to a “micromobility” device, a term for e-bikes, electric scooters and other items that help people get around.
Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn said there were at least five bikes in the apartment where the fire started. Investigators believe an occupant did bike repairs, Flynn said.
Citywide, nearly 200 blazes and six fire deaths this year have been tied to “micromobility” device batteries, marking “an exponential increase” in such fires over the last few years, Flynn said at a news conference Saturday.
Among the victims: an 8-year-old girl killed when an electric scooter battery sparked a fire in Queens in September, and a woman and a 5-year-old girl killed in August in Harlem by a fire that was blamed on a scooter battery.
The Fire Department has repeatedly urged users of such batteries to follow the manufacturer’s charging and storage instructions, employ only the manufacturer’s cord and power adapter, stop using a battery if it overheats, and follow other safety guidance.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
One of the troubles with these toys is that the manufacturers use the same plug for different voltage chargers. We went to one where there were several chargers just jumbled together on the same power strip. One was 60v and the other was 12v or 24v. The battery was quite hot and stinking when we arrived but had not lit off yet.
Wonder if it is an unauthorized business. Could cause problems with insurers, local government, and the IRS.
They didn’t say which battery chemistry was involved.
Instead of LiFePo4 some of these devices will use less safe, but higher current lithium ion battery chemistries.
One rule not mentioned in the article:
Never charge a “pregnant” (expanding, fat) lithium battery.
insurance companies don’t even like ICE car attached garages because of fire hazard
i wonder how they feel about electric vehicles inside multi dwelling structures???
The batteries probably lack protection circuitry that provides over-voltage, under-voltage, and over-current protection typically found with most cell phone batteries.
These circuits shut down the charging power being supplied to the relevant batteries _before_ problems surface.
An earlier report said “lithium battery”. If that really means anything these days. I did see 9V lithium batteries at the grocery. They were expensive.
“insurance companies don’t even like ICE car attached garages because of fire hazard
i wonder how they feel about electric vehicles inside multi dwelling structures???”
Underground parking is in thousands of office and apartment buildings. How about those airport close-in parking garages?
It’s going to get “interesting” as the Chinese say.
i’m talking housing, not businesses
a fire in a concrete parking garage isn’t the same as inside an apartment complex with many combustibles and people...
insurance companies sometimes see things wi a different eye
i’m looking at it as potential lawsuits they might not want to payout
the more common they are the more incidents there’ll be
I understand there have been many electric vehicle fires in South Korea. This is especially true in rainy weather. Now the South Korean government has mandated that all EV’s must be outside a house or garage. It should be viewed as a warning to U.S. EV owners.
yup... bunch of people get killed and then see what happens
i have nothing against them, just looking down the road
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