E-bike catches fire inside St. Paul apartment building - CBS Minnesota

By Stephen Swanson, WCCO Staff

October 21, 2024 / 11:32 AM CDT / CBS Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A man was hospitalized after an electric bike started on fire inside an east St. Paul apartment building on Monday morning.

The St. Paul Fire Department says crews were called to the building, off East Fourth and Hancock streets in the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood, at about 8 a.m. after the bike caught on fire, "filling the 3rd floor with smoke."

Firefighters used a ladder to help rescue a man inside. Officials say three residents were evaluated at the scene, with one man taken to the hospital. His condition hasn't been released.

Lithium-ion batteries — used in most electric bikes, scooters, vehicles, lawnmowers, power tools, laptops and other rechargeable gadgets — contain liquid electrolytes that burn at higher temperatures and for longer durations than electrolytes used in alkaline batteries.

CBS News reports that "unregulated aftermarket chargers" are helping to fuel the rash of battery-related fires across the country.

In a five-month span between late 2023 and early 2024, the Woodbury Fire Department says battery malfunctions were the cause of at least five house fires.

The FAA says the number of battery-related fires aboard flights has also increased by more than 42% in the past several years.

The National Fire Protection Association says charging failures can cause "thermal runaway," where an overheated cell inside a battery triggers a dangerous chain reaction. Another potential hazard, known as "off-gassing," is when a malfunctioning battery can start to leak flammable gases inside an environment, leading to the threat of a sudden ignition.

The Woodbury Fire Department gave WCCO these battery-related safety tips earlier this year:

Stephen Swanson is a web producer at CBS Minnesota. A 21-year WCCO-TV veteran, Stephen was a floor director for a decade before moving to the newsroom, where he focuses on general assignment reporting.

ST. PAUL, Minn.