INWOOD, Manhattan (PIX11) — Five people were injured when a fire broke out in a Manhattan building early Sunday morning, officials said.
The blaze started in an apartment on the fifth floor of a six-story building at 165 Sherman Ave. in Inwood at around 1:35 a.m., according to the FDNY. The fire was under control about an hour later.
One person in the building described waking up to the sound of screams.
Three people were taken to the hospital in critical condition and another suffered non-life-threatening injuries, officials said. The other injured individual was in stable condition. Officials initially said four people had ben hurt.
The fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery and deemed accidental, according to an FDNY tweet. The battery was left charging overnight, Chief of Fire Operations John Esposito said.
On Saturday, one person was killed in a Washington Heights apartment fire, according to the FDNY.
Fires started by batteries can from zero to a hundred “very, very quickly,” Esposito said. He advises only charging them while you’re awake.
