Bronx e-bike fire death toll rises to four. NYCHA's charging rules aren't on its inspection forms, and no Council bill targets public housing

Three more people have died from this week's e-bike battery fire at the Patterson Houses in Mott Haven, the NYPD said Saturday. Two teenage boys and an adult woman died, bringing the toll to four, including the boy who was killed at the scene, Gothamist reported. The boy's father remained hospitalized in stable condition.

Fire officials said the battery ignited just before 1 a.m. Wednesday in the kitchen of the family's 11th-floor apartment. The bike was stored near the front door and blocked the way out, Gothamist reported.

Why it matters to residents: the fire happened in public housing, where the city's housing authority is the landlord and sets the rules on charging.

We reported Thursday that most of the Council's battery bills have not had a hearing. Since then, reporting by THE CITY has shown how NYCHA's own rules work in practice.

What NYCHA's rules say, and how they're checked

In 2023 NYCHA considered banning e-bikes from its buildings. It adopted a compromise instead after pushback from residents who use the bikes for work, THE CITY reported. Under the rule, which took effect in 2024:

• a household may charge only one battery at a time, and it must be safety-certified;
• no charging in front of a door or anywhere that could block an escape;
• an adult must be awake while a battery charges.

Breaking the rule is a lease violation. But THE CITY found that charging is not on NYCHA's annual apartment inspection form or its interim inspection form. Staff are told to report problems verbally to a supervisor. NYCHA has started just three eviction cases for violations. The Patterson apartment had an inspection in March, and NYCHA said staff saw no improper charging.

Battery fires inside NYCHA properties rose from 13 in 2024 to 22 so far in 2026, with 53 since the rule took effect, THE CITY reported. NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hiatt told the outlet that charging at an entryway is a lease violation, "but obviously NYCHA's main goal as a public housing authority is to keep people housed." Citywide, the FDNY counts 401 battery fires and six deaths this year, compared with 292 fires and one death last year. Those figures predate this week's additional deaths.

What our records add

No pending bill addresses charging in public housing. We searched this term's legislation for bills on batteries, e-bikes and NYCHA. None would set charging or storage rules for NYCHA apartments, require inspections to check charging, or fund charging space at developments. NYCHA's charging rule is a lease policy the authority set itself.

The closest bill hasn't had a hearing. Int. 961, from Public Safety chair Oswald J. Feliz, would change the fire code's requirements for battery charging areas for powered mobility devices. It was introduced June 30 and has four sponsors and no hearing, 123 days later. Int. 582, from Jennifer Gutiérrez, would require businesses that use delivery bikes to give workers fireproof or fire-resistant battery containers. It has 10 sponsors and has waited 261 days since Feb. 12.

A battery-station bill is also waiting. Int. 357, from Sandy Nurse, would require DOT to install e-bike battery stations. It has seven sponsors and has had no hearing since Jan. 29.

The FDNY has told the Council its laws worked before. At a March 13 hearing, the FDNY credited changes in the law, "including bills passed by this committee," for cutting battery deaths from 18 in 2023 to one in 2025. This year's six deaths, before this week's, reversed that trend.

What's next

NYCHA told THE CITY it will relocate the family and repair the apartment and common areas. The FDNY's fire marshals are still investigating. None of the battery bills is on a published committee agenda. The Council's Committee on Public Housing and Committee on Fire and Emergency Management would be the natural venues for questions about NYCHA's rule. The next stated Council meeting is Nov. 12.