February 10, 2025 - American Public News

ITHACA, N.Y. — A Monday morning fire at Arthaus, a West End apartment building on Cherry Street, displaced three residents and damaged three apartments in the affordable housing complex, according to the Ithaca Fire Department (IFD). The three individuals living in the fourth-floor apartment where the fire began were outside by the time firefighters arrived at around 6:40 a.m., less than five minutes after they were dispatched, a statement from the department said. A battery for an electric bike “began to burn and exploded,” the statement said, causing the fire. It affected three apartments — one on the fourth floor and two below the fire on the third floor. Assistant Chief James Wheal said Monday the fire was “small in size” but “big in smoke,” which allowed firefighters to quickly extinguish the flames and ventilate the building. He said other Arthaus residents were able to return to their apartments about an hour after firefighters arrived.Investigators are working to determine more details surrounding the explosion that caused Monday’s fire, the statement said. The two apartments on the third floor, directly below where the fire started, suffered water damage from the emergency sprinklers. Wheal suspects those residents will “be back in their apartments after some serious cleaning.” IFD and the Ithaca Department of Public Works contacted the Red Cross to assist the three people who were displaced. The organization will often provide temporary housing, clothing and other necessities to people in similar situations. Wheal said the department worries about seeing an increase in fires caused by batteries. The unorthodox transportation methods students use in university towns like Ithaca require large batteries like the one that caused Monday’s fire.“Battery fires are fast and violent,” the statement said. The department warned residents to never charge large batteries in stairwells, hallways or doorways that lead to an exit. When purchasing batteries, the IFD recommends only buying from recognizable companies and those that “carry UL or ETL certifications,” meaning the batteries have been tested for safety. The post Apartment fire sparked by “exploded” e-bike battery displaces three appeared first on The Ithaca Voice.First published by The Ithaca Voice.

Daily Archives: February 10, 2025

Apartment fire sparked by “exploded” e-bike battery displaces three

Obituary: Curtis (Spike) L. Milton