One person died and three people were hurt when a fire erupted in a Brooklyn apartment building early Wednesday, authorities say.
Firefighters responded to Brighton 3 Street, between Brighton Beach Avenue and Brightwater Court, after getting a call about the blaze shortly before 4 a.m. The fire started on the second floor.
It was under control within an hour. Neighbors said all they could see was thick smoke as they rushed to evacuate.
A 69-year-old man died in the blaze and two others who lived in the home were hurt, but are expected to recover. A firefighter was also injured.
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Investigators said an unregulated lithium ion battery, used to power a motorized scooter, sparked the fire. FDNY Chief Fire Marshal Dan Flynn said the man who died was in his bedroom, where the device also was, when the battery failed.
"The occupants were home at the time of the fire, they heard the battery fail it made a noise, they attempted to extinguish the fire. Clearly were unable to extinguish the fire," said Flynn.
Some lawmakers are pushing for stricter regulations around how electric devices and batteries are purchased, stored and charged.
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"We have to get together, Republicans and Democrats, and we have to make sure we have legislation about these batteries," said New York State Assemblymember Alec Brook-Krasny.
Deaths caused by lithium ion battery fires are down — 4 so far in 2024 compared to 14 at the same time in 2023. However, there are still about the same number of fires.
"This is number four and it’s too many. And I will not stop talking about unregulated lithium ion batteries and the dangers that they cause until we’re at zero," said FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker.
The apartment did not have working smoke detectors, with the fire department saying the devices had been removed. It was not clear if that delayed the FDNY response in any way.
