Massive blaze at NYC bike shop possibly sparked by e-bikes: FDNY

A massive blaze broke out at a Queens bike shop late Thursday, and authorities are probing whether e-bikes kept there were to blame. 

The fire erupted on the first floor of the Fly Wing Bike Shop on 47th Avenue near 39th Place in Sunnyside around 6:45 p.m. Thursday, according to the FDNY.

Video posted to Citizen shows the raging flames rising from the building. 

The inferno destroyed at least 60 e-bikes, according to WABC. The bikes were reduced to a charred heap outside the store, photos show. 

“We had a large number of e-bikes, and gasoline bikes approximately 30 were in the rear and the same number inside the store,” FDNY Battalion Chief Justin Zorbo told the network. “We used all hands-on assignment on arrival with an additional engine and additional truck, we had a three-line stretch to an operation.”

“E-bike fires are becoming more prevalent in the city,” the chief added. “And they are difficult to extinguish. And require numerous hazmat resources.”

No one was hurt in the blaze. 

While the FDNY said Friday that the cause of the fire remains under investigation, the department tweeted a video warning of the dangers of lithium-ion batteries used by e-bikes.

“Damaged or unstable batteries and improper charging, storage or disposal can cause the batteries to overheat, leading to an explosive, aggressive fire that spreads rapidly, can reignite and is challenging to extinguish,” the video warns. 

Following a rash of deadly fires caused by faulty e-bike scooter batteries, Bronx City Councilman Oswald Feliz said last month that he plans to introduce a new bill prohibiting the sale of non-certified batteries.

Feliz’s district is among several that have seen fires break out as a result of the faulty batteries. 

Several fires have turned fatal — including an Aug. 1 blaze that trapped a 2-year-old and her mother inside their apartment.