NEW YORK, N.Y. — An 11-year-old boy died and four members of his family were left in critical condition after an e-bike battery set off a fire inside their Bronx apartment early Wednesday, Oct. 28, the New York City Fire Department said.
Flames broke out in an 11th-floor unit shortly before 1 a.m., at 320 Morris Avenue in the Patterson Houses public housing complex in Mott Haven. Fire officials said the e-bike sat in the kitchen close to the front door, so when its battery caught fire the flames cut off the only way out for the family of five.
Firefighters forced the door, found one person just inside and then crawled past the fire to reach the others. All five were taken to a hospital, where the boy was pronounced dead. The injured are two teenagers, including a 15-year-old boy, and two adults, a woman, 33, and a man, 37. A hazmat team also responded because of the battery. Officials have not released names.
Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said the batteries can go into thermal runaway, turning a small fire into a large one within moments. She urged residents to charge and store e-bikes and scooters outdoors when they can and never park them where they block a door or window. Mayor Zohran Mamdani asked New Yorkers to keep the family in their thoughts.
The death adds to a sharp rise this year. So far in 2026, the department has tied more than 400 fires citywide to these batteries, with 74 people hurt and six killed. In all of last year the count stood at 292 fires, 51 injuries and one death.
Section: More New York NY crime news
Filed under: New York NY Public Safety News
