Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) have issued a warning over the use of lithium-ion batteries after a man was killed in New York on Friday.
According to a statement by the New York fire commissioner, a fire occurred in the city which was caused by a lithium-ion battery from an electric bike. The fatal blaze killed one man and left a woman seriously injured.
The batteries, which power electric bikes and scooters, can explode if damaged or overcharged.
The New York City Fire Department said an "alarming trend" has emerged with at least four deaths caused by the batteries in the city.
Our Fire Marshals have determined once again that this fire was caused by lithium-ion batteries from an electric bike. – said FDNY Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro. Read more: https://t.co/0dyuGJSKDG pic.twitter.com/btl9K8M4Bn
— FDNY (@FDNY) December 17, 2021
DFB have echoed the warning, urging people to only buy from reputable dealers. The emergency service also advised people to only use the provided chargers to power up the batteries and never power them overnight.
"We too are seeing these types of fires in Dublin", DFB said.
A short Sunday morning read: The Fire Department of New York commissioner issued a warning over lithium-ion batteries and e-bicycles/scooters following a fatal fire in the city.
We too are seeing these types of fires in Dublin.
We have advice here https://t.co/zr7QErgdu3 https://t.co/3zqB7iyv7K— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) December 19, 2021
Further advice on the use of lithium-ion batteries can be found here.
