"The occupants were home at the time of the fire, they heard the battery fail, it made a noise. They attempted to extinguish that fire, clearly were unable to extinguish the fire," FDNY Chief Fire Marshal Dan Flynn said on the scene. "The device was blocking the egress of the person that succumbed from their injuries. That's a message that we've been pushing out from the start - do not put these devices between you and the front door. You have to have a plan, make sure you can get out."
"Do not try to extinguish these fires. Call 911, let us get out there to extinguish these. You will not be able to put these things out on your own," Flynn said.
Fire officials added the lithium-ion battery was purchased online and did not appear to be a certified device. They also stressed the importance of calling 911 right away and making sure smoke detectors are in working order.
Four people have been killed in fires caused by lithium-ion batteries so far this year, compared to 14 by this time last year. While there has been an improvement, officials say even one death is too many.
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