Second fire in e-bike shop in Queens
An e-bike shop in Richmond Hill, Queens, caught fire for the second time last week, leaving behind a pile of charred and bent bike parts and concerned neighbors.
NEW YORK – A fire broke out at The Kings Electric Scooter Shop on Jamaica Avenue in Richmond Hill, Queens, early Tuesday morning, marking the second time the store has been ablaze in just over a year.
The fire left behind a pile of charred and bent bicycle parts and has residents and business owners fearing for their safety.
“It’s very close,” said Kubare Singh, who lives directly across the street from the store. He is concerned that the fires in the store could spread to neighboring buildings. “Because of the wind and the speed and rapidity of the fire, it could engulf the neighboring building.”
The fire is believed to have broken out in the back of the store, where scooters and e-bikes are stored. A firefighter suffered minor injuries while fighting the fire.
The store last burned in March 2023, when the fire broke out in the same area of the store. Neighbors say the combination of electric scooters and bikes and their lithium-ion batteries has them concerned about the safety of their buildings.
The authorities have issued an eviction order for the building, in the basement of which, according to the building authority, there are illegally converted apartments.
Fire investigators are working to determine the exact cause of the fire. If lithium-ion batteries are found to be a factor, this would be the 161st fire of its kind in New York City this year, according to the FDNY.
