An employee dorm on Mackinac Island was promptly evacuated late Wednesday evening when an e-bike battery ignited a fire, sending one resident to the hospital. The Mackinac Island Fire Department was called to The Twilight dormitory at 1391 Hoban Street at 9:45 p.m. after reports of smoke were sighted billowing from the building, as per UpNorthLive.
The fire, which was concentrated in a second-floor room due to an e-bike battery, was tackled by firefighters who were forced to stretch a hose line to the back stairs, break down a door, and bravely move in to douse the flames that had also triggered the sprinkler system. "Arriving units stretched a line to the back stairs, forced a door and moved in on the fire which had also activated the sprinklers," said Fire Chief Jason St. Onge, in a statement to the CBS Detroit. Despite being submerged, the battery continued to burn, a fact noted by the chief in his remarks to the press.
The incident led to approximately 30 people being displaced, as confirmed by St. Onge, who pointed out the challenges of enforcing a 'no e-bike batteries in the buildings' policy implemented by the Grand Hotel, the dorm's owner. Stressing on past precautions, Dana Orlando, vice president of Grand Hotel's sales and marketing, told the Detroit Free Press, “We provide exterior charging stations in high-traffic areas, away from buildings, for our team members: a total of 26 accessible charging ports are provided.” Orlando also mentioned that the hospitalized resident has since been released and is expected to make a full recovery.
St. Onge, who was recently elected to the city council according to preliminary election results reported by the Mackinac Island Town Crier, expressed his ongoing concern about the danger posed by e-bike batteries particularly on an island noted for historic wooden structures. He stressed, "It's an ongoing concern, the e-bike batteries. … My concern is when is our luck going to run out?" a sentiment also shared during a previous interview with the Detroit Free Press. E-bike fire hazards have already gained national attention, with incidents in New York and calls for tighter regulation being discussed among Washington policymakers. On the island, the repercussions extend beyond public safety to the potential threat they pose to Michigan's lucrative tourism industry.
Following the fire, Mackinac Island Police Chief Doug Topolski has reiterated calls for visitors to consider leaving their e-bikes at home, highlighting the existing permissions granted for certain e-bikes as per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Topolski, addressing the enforcement challenges and the convenience versus necessity debate, told Detroit Free Press, "Mackinac Island is not necessarily a 'convenient' place to be, and that's what makes it so great." The local government, so far, has no specific ordinance against e-bike batteries within residences, leaving the issue in the hands of housing unit owners to police.
