Fire officials say the fatal fire in the Bronx may have been caused by a lithium-ion battery

A man died in a fire in the Bronx on Thursday evening that may have been caused by a lithium-ion battery, according to fire officials.

Shortly before midnight, police and firefighters arrived at the three-story building at Beaumont Avenue and Grove Street – two blocks from the Bronx Zoo. On the third floor they found a fire and an unconscious 34-year-old man. He later died at St. Barnabas Hospital, police said, but his name was not immediately released.

First responders also took a 56-year-old man to Jacobi Hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation, but police said his condition was stable. According to the FDNY, two firefighters also suffered minor injuries.

A hazmat unit on scene recovered a lithium-ion battery, officials said.

Fire officials said it is still unclear whether the battery caused the fire, but they are investigating. If so, it would be the fifth death from a lithium-ion battery fire in the city this year, according to FDNY data.

According to the FDNY, 18 New Yorkers died last year as a result of violent fires that can ignite when batteries are not properly regulated or charged.

A 69-year-old grandfather died in his Brighton Beach apartment last week in a massive fire that firefighters determined was caused by a charging lithium-ion battery.

A total of 10 people were left homeless by Thursday night’s fire, and the Red Cross was on scene to help them, police said.

The fire was brought under control at 1:40 a.m

This is a developing story and may be updated.