By Michael V. Cusenza
The City on Friday suffered its first lithium-ion battery-related fire death of the year when a woman became trapped inside a popular Flushing pizzeria as it burned thanks to a poorly placed delivery scooter.
On July 4, a 2-alarm fire broke out at a Singas Pizzeria on Kissena Boulevard in Flushing. Fire marshals determined the cause was a lithium-ion battery. An e-bike placed outside the restaurant’s bathroom door trapped a 76-year-old woman inside. She died at the hospital.
“NEVER store e-bikes indoors and DO NOT BLOCK ANY EXITS,” FDNY officials tweeted on Tuesday. “It can be a matter of life or death.”
In January, City Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker announced significant progress in the department’s battle against lithium-ion battery fires. In 2024, the city had six deaths related to lithium-ion batteries, compared to 18 deaths in 2023, a 67-percent decrease.
Photo Courtesy of FDNY
In 2025 there have been 40 structural fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in New York City compared to 26 at this time last year — a 53 percent increase.
The FDNY Lithium-ion Battery Task Force inspected 585 e-bike shops in 2024, a 25-percent increase from 2023. They issued 426 FDNY summons, 138 violation orders, 32 criminal summonses, and issued seven vacate orders with the City Department of Buildings.
“One death is too many, but this progress is the result of enhanced public education, inspection efforts, and greater community engagement. Despite the higher volume of calls, our EMS personnel and firefighters have worked tirelessly to save lives, and their efforts have helped make 2024 a safer year for New Yorkers,” Tucker said earlier this year, later adding “While structural fires caused by lithium-ion batteries were down last year, we have seen a troubling uptick so far this year and we want to make sure residents heed our warning to charge and store these devices outside where possible to avoid the destruction these intense fires can cause.”
