FDNY: Lithium-ion battery sparked 5-alarm fire in the Bronx
NEW YORK -- At least seven people were hurt Sunday when a fire ripped through an apartment building in the Fordham Heights section of the Bronx.
The FDNY said it was caused by a lithium-ion battery that powered a scooter.
The blaze broke out just before 11 a.m. at 2096 Grand Concourse and firefighters were still on the scene into the evening. Residents told CBS2 they feared the worst.
"There was fire everywhere. The smoke looked like it was going to take over the Bronx," Fordham Heights resident Kim Hernandez said. "We couldn't even breathe."
READ MORE: FDNY issues warning about lithium-ion battery fires
The FDNY said more than 200 firefighters responded to the fire, which started in the back of a supermarket. The entire building was destroyed and the roof caved in.
Video released by the FDNY shows a scooter catching fire and the flames spreading within seconds, soon taking over the nearby laundromat and other stores.
FDNY Chief John J. Hodgens says once a battery catches fire it's incredibly difficult to extinguish.
"Under five minutes, we already were putting water on that e-bike fire and it had already spread throughout the building. It's really something that we have never seen before as far as a small fire turning into something like this in a matter of a few minutes," Hodgens said.
"We have seven injuries. Five firefighters, one member of EMS and one civilian. Everyone is stable. But this really shows you how incredibly serious this can be," FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said.
The FDNY said the civilian is a Con Edison worker and that those injured are expected to be okay.
READ MORE: New York City Council introduces first round of lithium-ion battery safety legislation
Just a few days ago, the City Council passed legislation that bans the sale of unregulated lithium-ion batteries in New York City. It's not clear if the battery in Sunday's fire was legal.
The FDNY has already seen more than two dozen fires caused by lithium-ion batteries so far this year, and last year there were more than 200.
"We've seen far too many residential and commercial fires here in the Bronx," Borough President Vanessa Gibson said. "And in places in our borough where we consider food deserts, we certainly do not want to lose any of our valued supermarkets and laundromats, so we hope to rebuild very soon."
"The supermarket has been here for at least over like 20 years. This is a childhood supermarket everybody goes to," Fordham Heights resident Lynnwood Tyer said.
The FDNY is investigating why exactly the scooter burst into flames and who it belonged to.
