Lithium-ion battery fire breaks out in Queens e-bike shop — again

A Queens e-bike store that caught fire a year ago due to a lithium-ion battery fire has caught fire again, and for exactly the same reason, the FDNY announced Saturday.

The fire broke out on Friday around 7:08 p.m. on the first floor of the King Electronic Hub, near Boulevard Lefferts. and Liberty Ave. in South Richmond Hill, drawing a response of approximately 60 firefighters and EMS personnel.

The fire was brought under control around 7:41 p.m. The cause of the fire is being determined by firefighters.

One person was injured in the fire and transported by emergency services to a local hospital.

The e-bike store, located in a two-story mixed-use building, was the scene of another fire last year. On January 6, 2024, around 10:40 p.m., while the store was closed for the night, a lithium-ion battery began smoking and spraying sparks before igniting, according to surveillance footage of the incident obtained by the FDNY.

During the 2024 fire, an upstairs residential tenant heard three loud noises and smelled smoke, the FDNY said. There were no injuries.