Lime bike catches fire in Rockaway Beach, apparently burning rider
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A Lime bike, similar to the one that apparently caught fire and burned a rider in Far Rockaway. Photo courtesy of Lime.
By Jonathan Sperling
A Queens bike share rider found himself in the hot seat on Wednesday after the Lime bike he was riding in Rockaway Beach caught fire.
FDNY officials told the Eagle that they responded to a call for a “bicycle fire” just after 8:45 p.m. at Beach 79th Street and Rockaway Beach Boulevard. Though initial reports indicated that the green Lime bike’s battery exploded, the FDNY told the Eagle that the cause of the fire had not been determined.
A video tweeted by the Rockaway Times shows the bike spurting flames from behind the seat as it lays in the sand. The rider apparently suffered non-critical burns to his leg, The New York Post reported.
Lime said the fire began because someone tried to force open the battery that powers the lock.
“After our investigation we've concluded that this is an isolated incident, in which someone attempted to forcibly break the bike lock with a sharp object, penetrating the well-protected small lithium battery that powers the lock. This sharp object ultimately ignited the battery — similar to what would happen if one used a sharp object to penetrate a phone or laptop battery,” a Lime spokesperson told the Eagle via email.
“Lithium batteries are safe and those in Lime bikes that power the motor and the lock are surrounded by protective layers of metal and plastic for added security. Our bikes are entirely safe when used properly, and we remind riders to respect the vehicles and that vandalism is dangerous and illegal,” the spokesperson added.
Lime said it was not aware of any of their other bikes catching fire anywhere else in the world.
