The FDNY battled a fire at a Richmond Hill e-bike store early Thursday morning for the second time in 17 months. Once again, a Hazmat unit was called on to deal with the presence of lithium-ion batteries that appear to have caused the blaze.
Firefighters arrived at Kings Electric Scooters at 102-44 Jamaica Ave. just before 2:30 a.m. and began removing dozens of charred gas-powered and electric two-wheeled vehicles from the store.
Just like the first time the FDNY responded to a fire at Kings Electric Scooters on March 13, 2023, the fire was sparked in the garage area where the e-bikes and scooters are stored.
The fire was brought under control at 3:21 a.m. One firefighter was transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center with minor injuries.
Last month, Mayor Eric Adams and the FDNY launched a $1 million advertising campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of faulty lithium-ion batteries. The campaign featured materials in ten different languages placed in neighborhoods with high concentrations of battery-related fires and advertisements posted in subways, bus stops, digital kiosks and highly trafficked areas.
According to the FDNY, approximately $750,000 was spent on these ads, while an additional $250,000 will be used on educational materials and advanced firefighting equipment to help battle battery fires.
FDNY fire marshals will determine the official cause of the early morning blaze at the Richmond Hill shop.
