An 18-year-old boy has died in a fire in a Brooklyn apartment complex, which officials say, was caused by a lithium-ion battery the night of Aug. 28. According to a news report, witnesses reported an explosion inside a 12th floor apartment at the Albany Houses run by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) on Troy Avenue near Bergen Street in Crown Heights.
Medics rushed the teen from the apartment where the fire broke out to Interfaith Medical Center where officials said he died from his injuries. More than 120 firefighters were called to the scene to put out the fire, which was done in about an hour. FDNY Fire Marshals are investigating. But officials say the fire was sparked by a lithium-ion battery found in the apartment.
Lithium-Ion Battery Fires in NYC
This is the second fatal fire this year that has been caused by a lithium-ion battery. The first death related to a lithium-ion battery fire happened on June 26 when a 48-year-old Queens man who scrambled out a window to escape the fire, died. That fire was sparked by a battery that exploded while charging in the kitchen of a two-story home in Jamaica. In that case, four people were rushed to the hospital including two with serious injuries.
Deaths related to lithium batteries have decreased in New York City since an all-time high in 2023 when 18 people died in such incidents. That number came down to six in 2024 and one in 2025. While fatal fires remain low, officials say the number of lithium battery-fueled fires have still increased by 70% this year. FDNY Chief Fire Marshal Michael Kavanagh said in July that an increasing number of battery-related fires are happening outdoors with 137 non-structural fires in 2026 compared to 48 at this time last year.
Why These Batteries Can Be Dangerous
Lithium-ion batteries power many everyday products including smartphones, laptops, power tools, electric vehicles and e-bikes. While these batteries are generally safe when properly designed and manufactured, they can present serious safety hazards when something goes wrong.
A damaged, defective, overheated or improperly manufactured lithium-ion battery can experience thermal runaway, a rapid chain reaction in which the battery generates excessive heat. This can cause a battery to catch fire, release hazardous gases or in some circumstances, explode. Fires involving lithium-ion batteries can spread quickly and may be difficult to extinguish.
People may be injured by intense heat, flames, smoke, toxic fumes or flying battery components. Serious injuries can include burns, smoke inhalation and other potentially life-changing conditions. Property damage can also occur when a battery fire spreads to surrounding structures.
Potential causes can include manufacturing defects, defective battery cells, inadequate safety systems, faulty chargers, design problems or insufficient warnings and instructions.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Whether you have been living as a tenant at a private apartment complex or in a public housing unit (NYCHA) (the Projects), please remember that you have legal rights. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of dangerous conditions, the very experienced New York personal injury attorneys with the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. It is in the best interest of injured victims and their families in such cases to contact a very experienced personal injury lawyer before contacting the people responsible for the injuries, and definitely before contacting or communicating with any insurance company, or their lawyers, investigators, or adjusters.
For over 54 years, our skilled attorneys have established a proven track record of assisting injured victims. One of our clients — a hot water burn victim — secured $750,000 in damages and we got $2,250,000 for another hot water burn victim from the property owner and manager. Our firm also obtained a $985,000 settlement out of a $1 million insurance policy for two people who suffered smoke inhalation injuries because the homeowner did not have smoke detectors installed and the $15,000 that was left on the insurance policy was for a person that we did not represent. Another of our clients recovered $2,500,000 due to a faulty space heater. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys‘ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases, negligence cases, motor vehicle accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, trip-and-fall accidents, ceiling collapse cases, lead poisoning, paraplegia cases, quadriplegia cases and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source:https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/08/29/teen-killed-in-brooklyn-fire-sparked-by-lithium-ion-battery-fdny/