The San José Fire Department said a deadly fire on Friday started with a rechargeable battery for an electric bicycle. One person died in an apartment fire ignited by a faulty e-bike battery in San José last week, authorities said. Two people were in the apartment around 8:30 a.m. on Friday when the battery in an e-bike began sparking and smoking, starting a fire, the San José Fire Department wrote in a Facebook post. The other person stayed behind to try to fight the fire, then quickly emerged and collapsed, the Fire Department said. People are advised to not leave devices charging unattended or while sleeping and to unplug them once they are fully charged.

Source: Los Angeles Times April 07, 2026 00:01 UTC