A grandmother has died in a pizzeria after a fire broke out. Authorities determined the blaze’s origin was the lithium-ion battery installed in an e-bike.
Multiple news sources reported on the incident, which occurred on July 4, including the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). The organization posted on Facebook that a “2-alarm” fire had broken out at a pizzeria in Queens. “Fire Marshals determined the cause was a lithium-ion battery. An e-bike placed outside the restaurant’s bathroom door trapped a 76-year-old woman inside,” the post reads. “She died at the hospital, marking the first lithium-ion battery-related death in New York City in 2025.”
FDNY concludes, “Never store e-bikes indoors and do not block any exits. It can be a matter of life and death.” Fire Rescue 1 sheds more light on the incident, explaining that the woman who died is Yuet Kiu Cheung from Sunnyside. She was reportedly out shopping with her friend in Flushing Friday and stopped at Singas Famous Pizza on Kissenne Blvd.
An e-bike used for deliveries was allegedly left next to the bathroom and burst into flames at around 3:30 PM while Cheung was still inside. The outlet explains that the rapidly spreading flames are typical of a lithium-ion battery fire. The grandmother reportedly managed to escape the bathroom and ran through the flames. Fire Marshall Daniel Flynn said, Cheung tried to reach the entrance but was overcome by the smoke and collapsed.
Fire Department Commissioner Calls The Battery Fires ‘Treacherous’
Per Fire Rescue 1, FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker said, “These fires are very treacherous. They move very quickly and they are very hot. You can’t go far before you’re overtaken.” Emergency Services reportedly pulled the grandmother from the burning building and transported her to New York-Presbyterian Queens. She died from her injuries the following day. Five other people were in the building, including diners and workers. They all escaped the blaze unscathed.
It took the combined effort of over 100 firefighters to contain the pizzeria blaze. Authorities reportedly had the fire under control within an hour. The outlet explains that FDNY officials say that six people died from lithium-ion battery fires in the city last year. The fire department has already tackled 122 similar blazes this year, although this is the first one to result in a fatality.