NEW YORK (BRAIN) — A two-alarm fire at a Queens bike shop on Monday was caused by a charging lithium-ion battery, according to FDNY.
The 5 Hermanos Bike Shop at 3005 41st St. was engulfed in flames at about 2 p.m., forcing some residents from their second-story apartments above the bike shop before the blaze was contained and extinguished.
Three firemen were hospitalized with minor injuries, according to a fire official speaking with WNBC-TV Channel 4 who also added there was nobody inside the bike shop when the fire started.
It's the latest in a series of fires in the city blamed on lithium-ion batteries. Last month, a charging lithium-ion battery caught fire at a longtime South Florida bike shop and destroyed the interior and much of the inventory. No injuries were reported.
