A garbage truck fire sent thick smoke through Downtown Brooklyn Friday afternoon after flames erupted inside the vehicle on Flatbush Avenue Extension. FDNY crews dumped the burning load into the middle of the street, where firefighters spread out the debris to contain the blaze.
According to FDNY, the fire was caused by lithium-ion batteries, many of which were discarded into hazmat material bins left at the scene.
It remains unclear how the batteries ignited, but according to FDNY, illegal lithium-ion batteries, including those often used to charge e-bikes, do not need to be connected to a power source to still have the potential to catch fire…