A man died Friday morning after an electric bike battery caught fire while charging in his West San Jose apartment, according to the San Jose Fire Department.
The fire started at 8:30 a.m. in a unit at the Park Kiely apartment complex on Norwalk Drive. The lithium-ion battery was plugged into an electrical outlet when it ignited.
A neighbor rescued a woman from the apartment through the balcony, fire officials said. The man remained inside and attempted to extinguish the flames. He collapsed after exiting the apartment several minutes later. The neighbor performed CPR until paramedics arrived and transported him to a hospital, where he died.
The man died from toxic smoke inhalation, according to the San Jose Fire Department. The fire remained small and caused minimal damage to the building, but lithium-ion batteries release carbon monoxide and other poisonous gases within seconds of igniting.
“These fires start with virtually no warning,” Battalion Chief Jeff Fielding said at an April 6 press conference. “The fire spreads very quickly and produces tremendous amounts of toxic smoke. Even trained firefighters don’t enter smoke-filled areas without breathing apparatus.”
The battery failed while connected to the electrical outlet, fire officials said.
Four days later, San Francisco Supervisor Bilal Mahmood introduced legislation to ban the sale of uncertified lithium-ion batteries in the city. The ordinance would prohibit batteries without UL Solutions certification in both retail stores and online deliveries, with fines up to $1,000.
The proposal stems from a December 2025 fire at 50 Golden Gate Avenue in the Tenderloin district. A lithium-ion battery ignited while a resident slept, gutting the multi-story building and forcing the evacuation of 130 residents. The fire caused $3 million in damage, and residents have not returned.
San Francisco has recorded more than 120 lithium-ion battery fires in the past five years, with dozens occurring in the Tenderloin and surrounding areas, according to city data.
California law SB 1271, which took effect January 1, 2026, already prohibits the sale of electric bikes and batteries without UL certification statewide. But Mahmood said the city needs additional enforcement tools to fine property owners and prosecute sellers.
Fire officials advise against leaving batteries charging unattended or overnight, and warn against storing electric bikes near apartment exits where a fire could block evacuation routes.