E-bike battery fire devastates Bushwick businesses
News 12's Katelynn Ulrich was in Bushwick to see how businesses are handling the aftermath.
Top Stories
A fire caused by an e-bike battery has left businesses in Bushwick with extensive damage and thousands of dollars in losses.
The fire broke out Saturday evening during the dinner rush at Indica House, forcing an evacuation. According to the FDNY, the fire originated at a nearby storefront with a lithium-ion battery.
“The guy was charging a lithium battery, and he went to go pray,” a witness said. “When he was praying, he smelled smoke. When he came out, the lithium battery was up in flames.”
The smell of smoke still lingers along Broadway and Myrtle Avenue, where businesses continue cleaning up from the fire. Workers at Indica House say the financial losses are devastating, with no clear timeline for reopening.
“We’re losing $8,000 to $9,000 a day,” one worker said.
Nearby stores that closed temporarily due to the fire reported additional losses, with one estimating a loss of $20,000 over three days.
Federal regulators are expected to ban off-brand e-bike batteries by the end of the year to prevent future incidents.
