Philadelphia mother and toddler die after early-morning fire blamed on e-bike battery
A 22-year-old Philadelphia mother and her 3-year-old daughter died from injuries sustained in a house fire in Kensington that investigators say was likely started by a lithium e-bike battery.
Around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, a fire broke out in a Kensington rowhouse on D Street near Ontario Street, reportedly ignited by a lithium e-bike battery. Fire crews entered the home and rescued a toddler and an adult from a back room, but the 3-year-old was later declared dead at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. The mother, a 22-year-old resident of Philadelphia, succumbed to her injuries several days after the incident.
A second adult and child in the house escaped without injury. Authorities said the dwelling had no smoke detectors, a factor that may have contributed to the tragedy. The Philadelphia Fire Department and the Medical Examiner’s Office have not yet provided further comment.
Why it matters
The deaths highlight fire safety risks linked to e-bike batteries and the lack of smoke detectors in homes.
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