Overview
- The San Jose Fire Department said an e‑bike’s rechargeable battery started a blaze at a Norwalk Drive apartment Friday morning around 8:30 a.m.
- Two people were inside; one got out, and the other tried to put out the flames, then collapsed outside and later died at a hospital after a neighbor performed CPR.
- Fire officials confirmed a lithium‑ion battery caused the fire and urged people to evacuate instead of trying to fight a battery blaze.
- Lithium‑ion fires can overheat or explode and produce thick, toxic smoke that can kill quickly, and firefighters often need breathing gear and large amounts of water or CO2 to control them.
- The fatal fire followed a similar San Francisco apartment incident two days earlier and reflects a rise in battery‑related blazes that San Francisco addressed with a 2024 rule limiting four devices per unit and setting charging and inspection requirements.