Smoking lithium battery at Brentwood business investigated by police

A smoking lithium battery at a Brentwood business Thursday resulted in an investigation from the Suffolk County police Arson Section.

According to Suffolk County police, at approximately 4:25 p.m. detectives responded to a report of a lithium battery that began to smoke at 460 Suffolk Ave., which according to an online search, is JCY Motorsport.

The incident was determined to be noncriminal and there was no damage to the building or anything other than the battery, police said.

Calls to the business were not answered Thursday evening.

Malfunctioning lithium-ion batteries have led to a string of e-bike fires in New York City including one last week in Manhattan's Chinatown that killed four people. Fire officials have warned that some batteries that power the devices could start electrical fires.

A package of battery safety laws was passed this spring in the city.

Fire officials said they would expedite investigations into complaints about batteries at city bike shops and start a safety campaign for shop owners after last week’s deadly Chinatown fire.

Nassau County’s chief fire marshal last year sent all county fire departments a bulletin warning that the type of battery that powers many devices constitutes an “emerging hazard for the fire service.” 

Since the spring, electronic bikes and scooters have been officially allowed on Long Island Rail Road trains.