Caleb Matthews’ parents say their son’s death should prompt stronger safeguards for lithium-ion battery charging inside apartment buildings.
NEW YORK — The family of an 18-year-old who died after a lithium-ion battery sparked a fire in their Crown Heights apartment is calling for changes to how e-bikes and their batteries are charged inside residential buildings.
Caleb Matthews died after the Aug. 28 fire in a 12th-floor apartment at the Albany Houses on Troy Avenue in Brooklyn. Fire officials said investigators determined that a lithium-ion battery caused the fire. Matthews’ family said he had been charging the battery for his e-bike before the fire began.
Matthews’ mother, Angelica Welch, said the loss still does not feel real. She described her son as joyful, helpful and kind, and said he had a way of making people around him smile. The family said Matthews had recently graduated from high school and was preparing to attend college.
The family also said Matthews was familiar with e-bikes and had researched batteries before buying equipment for his bike. His father, Joseph Matthews, said riding e-bikes had become a family activity, with trips that took them across the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges and along the West Side of Manhattan.
The fire has shifted the family’s focus toward the risks of charging lithium-ion batteries inside homes. Welch said she wants policies changed to limit or prevent e-bike charging in apartments. Joseph Matthews urged families to avoid placing batteries or bikes near an apartment’s entrance or another location that could block an escape route during a fire.
Those concerns echo existing safety rules at New York City Housing Authority properties. NYCHA allows residents to keep and charge certain legal e-bikes and e-scooters in apartments, but residents must follow restrictions. Among them, only one device or battery may be charged at a time, and an adult who is awake must remain in the apartment during charging.
NYCHA rules also prohibit charging a lithium-ion battery next to an apartment entrance or anywhere else that could interfere with escape during a fire. Batteries cannot be charged near a radiator or other direct heat source, and chargers must be connected directly to a wall outlet rather than an extension cord or power strip.
City fire officials have repeatedly warned that lithium-ion batteries can create serious fire hazards when batteries or chargers are damaged, uncertified or improperly used. FDNY guidance advises people not to charge batteries overnight or unattended and recommends using certified products and manufacturer-approved charging equipment.
New York City has also sought to move some charging activity outside apartments. Rules adopted by the Department of Transportation allow eligible property owners and tenants to apply for permission to place battery charging or swapping cabinets on sidewalks. City officials have said those facilities are intended to expand access to safer charging locations and reduce the need to charge batteries in residences.
For Matthews’ family, the policy discussion follows a personal loss. Relatives have asked the community to remember the teenager for his smile and the effect he had on people around him. A memorial service is scheduled for Sept. 19 at St. Matthews Church in Brooklyn, followed by a celebration of life at Nazareth High School.
Author note: Last updated September 9, 2026.