New York City’s chief fire marshall urged House lawmakers to pass legislation mandating safety standards for lithium-ion batteries.
“To grasp the urgency of this problem, it’s important to understand that fires caused by lithium-ion batteries are more intense and more dangerous than traditional, smoldering fires,” Chief Fire Marshall Daniel Flynn of the New York City Fire Department testified during Thursday’s hearing before the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology.
Mr. Flynn said lithium-ion battery fires “instantly” create conditions that make it more difficult for people to escape to safety.
“They undergo a series of explosions, releasing highly toxic gasses and projecting flaming cells that can travel great distances, increasing the likelihood that the fire will spread,” he said. ”These fires instantly create severely dangerous conditions, rendering escape for anyone nearby significantly challenging. This is especially true if a fire occurs at night when an occupant is sleeping.”
In 2023, lithium-ion batteries caused 268 fires in New York City, killing 18 and injuring another 150 people.
“Lithium-ion battery fires require large volumes of water to suppress and can reignite spontaneously, making them extremely difficult for firefighters to extinguish,” Mr. Flynn also explained to the House subcommittee.
The New York Fire Department has urged Congress to pass H.R. 1797, sponsored by Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.). The bill, known as “Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-ion Batteries Act,” would issue a consumer product safety standard for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in eBikes, scooters, and other micromobility devices.
Mr. Torres said injuries caused by lithium-ion battery fires often involve eBikes or scooters, and that these types of fires have surged by 900 percent over a four-year period in New York City alone. His legislation is co-sponsored by Republican Rep. Anthony D'Esposito who chaired Thursday’s hearing.
Last March, New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed into law a package of bills aimed at reducing fires through the regulation of lithium-ion batteries and safety education.
But despite efforts to increase safety within the city, the number of fires has continued to grow.
“We have regulated it within New York City. And we’ve seen many violations of that law that we put in place locally,” Mr. Flynn said. “We cannot regulate devices that are coming into the city from the surrounding area.”
The problem is not restricted to New York City; it is a national safety issue that puts all Americans and first responders at risk.
Mr. Torres, who sits on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, asked whether battery quality plays a role in the increased fire risks.
Ms. Moore-Merrell said the United States gets the majority of its lithium-ion batteries from South Korea, Japan, and China, adding that its is the “huge unregulated market that poses the challenge to regulators.”
“I sit on the China committee, and part of the problem is the lack of safety regulation,” Mr. Torres said. “Just like the flow of drug precursors from China, perpetuating opioid deaths in America, the flow of poorly manufactured lithium-ion batteries from China is perpetuating fire deaths in America. I feel strongly that Congress should act swiftly to lower the de minimis threshold for imports in order to prevent poorly manufactured lithium-ion batteries from saturating the American market.”
Mr. D'Esposito said he believes passing the legislation could save lives.“This is a case where it’s going to legitimately save people’s lives,” he said.
Mr. Torres said he is hopeful that his bill, which has already advanced out of a different House committee, will make it to the floor this year.
“It’s a matter of homeland security. The United States is effectively importing ticking time bombs into American homes and businesses,” he said. “New York City is ground zero for the lithium-ion fire safety crisis in America.”
