NY high-rise fire: 38 people injured in Manhattan fire sparked by a lithium-ion battery, FDNY says

NEW YORK — The FDNY says a lithium-ion battery in a high-rise in Midtown Manhattan started a fire that engulfed residents Saturday morning, injuring 38 people, two with life-threatening injuries.

Around 10:30 a.m., the fire department received several calls about flames on the 20th floor of a high-rise building.

The FDNY says most of the 38 suffered minor injuries.

Two people are life-threatening and five people are seriously injured.

According to Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh, the cause of the fire was a lithium-ion battery connected to a “micro-mobility device”.

Some residents were reportedly trapped inside the building when the fire broke out. At least two dozen climbed onto the roof to escape the flames.

Residents who were not in the building were ordered to protect themselves in place until officers checked their units.

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