A late-night lithium-ion battery fire on the eighth floor of a 13-story Fort Greene apartment tower sent one resident to the hospital and brought a full hazmat response, as firefighters raced to keep the blaze from spreading through the building.
According to News 12 New York, the call came in around 11 p.m. Friday for a fire at 68 Cumberland Walk, between Park Avenue and Carlton Avenue. The outlet reports that 21 units and 79 FDNY and EMS personnel responded and that a specialized hazmat unit was requested because a lithium-ion battery was involved. One civilian was transported to a local hospital, and the department placed the fire under control at 11:32 p.m.
Why hazmat teams were called
Per the FDNY, damaged or improperly stored lithium-ion cells can enter thermal runaway and may reignite after an initial extinguishment, which is why hazmat capabilities are often deployed. The department's guidance urges residents to charge and store batteries away from combustibles and to dispose of spent cells at designated drop-off locations.
Part of a wider Brooklyn pattern
Local reporting has flagged several battery-linked blazes across Brooklyn this spring, from the Ridgewood Avenue inferno in Cypress Hills to a Flatbush restaurant fire that required hazmat crews, illustrating why firefighters treat these calls with extra caution, according to ABC7. City agencies have also been running PSAs and buyback programs aimed at keeping uncertified batteries off the streets.
Fire marshals are expected to inspect the Fort Greene building to determine origin and cause; News 12 New York says no additional information about the hospitalized person's condition was immediately available. Building managers and neighborhood groups said they would post official updates once investigators complete their review.
