Public Safety · Bronx County
E-Bike Battery Fire Kills 11-Year-Old in Bronx Patterson Houses Apartment
A lithium-ion e-bike battery exploded in the kitchen of an 11th-floor apartment at the Patterson Houses on Morris Avenue near East 140th Street in Mott Haven, Bronx, at approximately 12:50 a.m. Wednesday, killing 11-year-old Zion Maine and critically injuring his father, two teen brothers, and stepmom. The family's only exit was blocked by the burning bike; firefighters arrived within four minutes and rescued all five victims before extinguishing the blaze in just over an hour. FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore reported 401 lithium-ion battery fires citywide this year resulting in 74 injuries and six deaths, urging residents to store and charge batteries outside homes and never allow them to block exits. The father, Courtney Maine, 37, remained in a medically induced coma at Harlem Hospital.