A lithium-ion battery fire kills a Bronx man, according to the FDNY. It is the fifth deadly lithium-ion battery fire this year

NEW YORK – A man died and several other people were injured in a fire in an apartment building in the Bronx on Thursday evening.

The 34-year-old victim was pulled out but did not survive, authorities said.

Firefighters said it was caused by a lithium-ion battery. It is the fifth death in one Lithium-ion battery fire this year in New York City.

The fire occurred just before midnight at a home on Beaumont Avenue near Grote Street in the Belmont neighborhood.

The victim lived on the top floor of the building and authorities said he was charging the battery on his e-bike, which started the fire. Neighbors described him as quiet and said he was reserved. They say he was a delivery driver.

Cell phone video shows another man hanging out of his top-floor window, trying to breathe. Firefighters quickly set up a ladder to get him out. Three other people were injured, including a resident who suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Two firefighters also suffered minor injuries.

The Red Cross says it is helping six adults with temporary housing. Some tenants said they were offered a hotel in Brooklyn, but it was too far from their jobs in the Bronx.

The FDNY HAZMAT team removed the battery and placed it in a fireproof container to prevent a flare-up.

“I saw him yesterday morning when he came home from work. He had his bag and his batteries with him. He had a battery in his hand. He had a battery in his backpack. He said, ‘What’s going on?’ .’ “He went upstairs. That was the last time I saw him,” said neighbor Ernesto Salaam.

“He used to charge his bike in the hallway, but we live on the first floor. That’s why you shouldn’t charge your bike in the hallway,” said a neighbor.

Deadly lithium-ion battery fires have declined

Although it is the fifth lithium-ion battery-related death so far this year, that is down from 14 last year.

FDNY officials have repeatedly emphasized the following tips:

• Make sure all lithium-ion batteries and chargers are UL certified
• Do not charge devices in places where they would block the exit in the event of a fire
• Call 911 immediately and do not attempt to put out lithium-ion battery fires
• Make sure smoke detectors are working

For more lithium-ion battery safety tips from the FDNY, click here.