QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) – The FDNY will be addressing the shutdown of an illegal battery manufacturing operation in Queens on Thursday.
Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh said lithium-ion batteries have caused 500 fires and killed 24 people in the last 2 years. The FDNY said in 2019, there were 30 fires caused by lithium-ion batteries with no deaths reported.
The batteries have been made for decades, but over the last five years, they've been made with cheaper and lower-quality materials, according to the FDNY. They can be found in iPhones and laptops, but deadly explosions and fires are often started by the batteries used in e-bikes and electric scooters, fire officials said.
The FDNY blamed a scooter battery for a fire that killed three members of a Brooklyn family back in November.
Kavanaugh called the batteries ticking time bombs and is pushing for legislation that would regulate their production and stop unregulated batteries from making their way to the U.S.
She spoke in Washington, D.C. last month to warn about the dangers the batteries pose to families.
"The reality is if demand for cheap batteries is high and they can be purchased from overseas without any regulation, with residents unaware of the deadly device they now have in their home," Kavanaugh said.
The news conference on the shutdown of the illegal battery manufacturing operation will be held at 9 a.m.
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