E-Bike Battery Explodes, Causes Fire On Mackinac Island Despite 'Explosion-Proof Bag': Officials

MACKINAC ISLAND, MI — Officials on Mackinac Island are blaming an e-bike battery for a fire over the weekend.

The battery was inside an "explosion-proof bag" but officials said it still exploded and sparked a fire in a building on Cadotte Avenue at 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

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Firefighters entered the building, extinguished the fire and threw the burning e-bike battery out a window, officials said.

The battery was not charging and there was no electricity inside the building, which flooded a couple of weeks ago, officials said.

Officials said the fire is the 10th e-bike-related fire on the island recently.

It also comes after a Michigan resident died in a house fire that investigators also believe was sparked by an electric bike explosion.

E-bikes are allowed on the island, but only for people with mobility issues. They also come with limits on how powerful and fast they can be.

Officials recommend only purchasing and using devices, batteries and chargers listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory. They also suggest never overcharging the batteries and keeping them at room temperature.