Eighteen kids had been injured, one critically, following a basement fireplace in New York Metropolis Wednesday afternoon, authorities mentioned.
Shortly after 2 p.m. native time, firefighters responded to a heavy blaze in a basement in Queens, FDNY Chief of Fireplace Operations John Esposito instructed reporters.
Firefighters eliminated kids from the constructing, together with one from the basement the place the fireplace originated, Esposito mentioned.
In response to Assistant Deputy Chief Stacy Scanlon, a complete of 18 kids had been handled on the scene, with 17 in steady situation. Just one youngster was taken to a hospital. Finally report, the kid was in important situation, Scanlon mentioned.
Officers had been in a position to get the blaze beneath management inside about 40 minutes, Esposito disclosed.
In response to the NYC Division of Buildings, the basement was getting used for a daycare and a dental lab, CBS New York reported.
Officers imagine a lithium ion battery might have prompted the fireplace.
"Yeah, so, the lithium ion batteries," Esposito mentioned. "We have been having issues them the previous couple of years, in scooters and bikes and charging them, the mismatch of the batteries and the charging cords and decrease high quality batteries. So the message the fireplace division needs to get out is that you have to be utilizing UL or different regulated and authorized batteries. They shouldn't be charged within the entranceway or pathway to go away your home or residence. You shouldn't cost them in a single day."
