Lithium ion battery fires have been on the rise across the country since about 2019 due to the increasing number of e-bikes and scooters on the road.
Cheddar’s own Ashley Mastronardi spoke to a business owner who was personally affected by an e-bike blaze.
"You see your livelihood is burning, it’s not easy to see," said Khalid Raja, owner of Quality Discount Inc., which was damaged in a five-alarm fire that started with a faulty e-bike lithium battery
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 25,000 lithium-ion battery fires reported in a five-year period.
The New York City Fire Department said these fires are happening all over the country and offered some tips for how to stay safe, including never plugging a battery-powered bike into a power strip and avoiding charging bikes at night.
It comes after Musk posted a poll this weekend on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter that came out 70% in favor of the Infowars host, who repeatedly has called the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting a hoax.
Flood watches are in effect in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and southern New England through Monday. The National Weather Service says 3 to 5 inches of rain is expected across parts of Long Island and southern Connecticut, with other areas in line for 2 to 3 inches.
Emergency workers and community members cleaned up Sunday from the severe weekend storms and tornadoes that also sent dozens more to the hospital while damaging buildings, turning over vehicles and knocking out power to tens of thousands.
