Fire Department of New York

Stories

ISO adds Class L fire rating for lithium-ion as New York enforces 1 kWh storage rule

Approves lithium-ion ESS systems above 1 kWh; logs hundreds of battery fires yearly

Lithium-ion battery fires now have their own fire class. In January 2026, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published a revised classification, ISO 3941, adding Class L for lithium-ion cell and battery fires that contain no metallic lithium. In late September, ISO finished a further revision that reworked the Class L appendix and added referenced testing frames.

Updated Sep 30

NYCHA infrastructure crisis

Built World

Led emergency response to Boston Secor explosion

A gas explosion tore through a Bronx high-rise at 12:19 a.m. on January 24, 2026. Resident Ronald McCallister, 60, was killed and 15 others injured, including firefighters caught in the blast as they arrived to investigate a gas odor. Prosecutors say Samuel Calderon, 55, who did not live in the building, broke into an apartment and disconnected a stove to steal and sell it.

Updated May 23