An e-bike’s lithium-ion battery caused a Bronx apartment fire that killed a boy and critically injured four other people early Wednesday, FDNY officials said.

Firefighters found an e-bike in the kitchen near the entrance of an 11th-floor apartment at the Patterson Houses, a public housing complex in Mott Haven, officials said. The blaze began around 12:50 a.m. and spread quickly throughout the home, according to officials.

“It was placed in a spot in the kitchen that made it impossible for the residents to leave safely,” Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said at a press conference Wednesday. “ We know lithium-ion batteries are everywhere, and we know how valuable they are to people's livelihoods, so we need to remind New Yorkers how to use them safely.”

FDNY officials said firefighters forced the apartment door open, then searched the apartment for victims before working to control the fire. They found one person immediately behind the door, then crawled past the flames to search for and rescue the rest of the occupants, according to officials.

All five people were rushed to a nearby hospital, where a the boy was pronounced dead. Officials have estimated his age at 10 or 11, but the FDNY told Gothamist the boy's exact age has not yet been confirmed.

The four other occupants, including two teenagers, remain in critical condition, officials said.

“I ask New Yorkers to join me in sending our deepest condolences to the family of the child who passed away, and in praying for a full and quick recovery for those who are currently battling to survive,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at the Wednesday press conference.

According to FDNY data, lithium-ion batteries have caused more than 400 fires across the city this year, resulting in 74 injuries and six deaths. That's compared to 292 fires last year, which caused 51 injuries, and just one death.