FDNY fire marshals have determined that a Murray Hill house fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery on Sunday evening.

The FDNY responded to a report of a basement fire at 164-18 Pidgeon Meadow Rd., just before 7:30 p.m., where firefighters discovered approximately 100 lithium-ion batteries burning in the cellar. The property owner was operating an illegal lithium-ion battery repair business inside the home, and multiple micro-mobility devices and lithium-ion batteries were found in various states of disassembly and disrepair.

A dozen units and 60 firefighters and EMS personnel responded to the location between 164th Street and 166th Street. FDNY Haz-Mat units removed and overpacked more than 600 individual battery cells from the home. The blaze was brought under control at 10:55 p.m.

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