Bronx E-Bike Fire Death Toll Rises to Four

The death toll from an e-bike battery fire in the Bronx has climbed to four, police said Saturday. Two teenage boys and an adult woman died from injuries sustained in the blaze, joining 10-year-old Zion Maine, who was killed earlier in the week. Fire officials say the e-bike's battery ignited in the kitchen of an 11th-floor apartment at the Patterson Houses in Mott Haven just before 1 a.m. Wednesday. The bike had reportedly been stored near the unit's front door, blocking the family's main exit as the fire spread. Zion died at a nearby hospital shortly after the fire. His father, 37-year-old Courtney Maine, remained in stable condition as of Saturday. The three other victims hospitalized were identified by family as Maine's two sons and his partner, Syida Adams, though police had not officially confirmed their identities. Neighbors described Zion as a well-liked presence in the Patterson Houses community, where residents have lived for years. Lithium-ion battery fires tied to e-bikes and similar devices have become a growing safety concern across New York City in recent years, prompting renewed calls for stricter storage and charging regulations in residential buildings.