Surveillance video shows lithium-ion battery explosion that injured 6 in University Heights barbershop
The FDNY says the flames were caused by lithium-ion batteries around 9:38 p.m. inside of La Roka Barbershop at 31 W. Burnside Ave.
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Six people were hurt in a fire inside a University Heights barbershop Thursday night.
The FDNY says the flames were caused by lithium-ion batteries around 9:38 p.m. inside of La Roka Barbershop at 31 W. Burnside Ave.
Exclusive surveillance video shows the moment customers rush out of the shop, including one woman on fire. Neighbors step in to help put out the flames with a fire extinguisher.
Additional video captures the moments before the explosion, showing a man moving an object just before the blast. One patron can be seen fleeing the store while still wearing a barber cape.
Over 140 firefighters and EMS crews battled the blaze that left two people with serious injuries and four others with minor injuries.
The owner says he was at home when the fire broke out and by the time he got to the scene, all he saw was the damage left behind.
The fire was put out in less than an hour, but police tape now blocks off the barbershop and two nearby businesses as charred debris lay at the storefront doorstep, including two e-scooters.
The FDNY says it has investigated 282 lithium-ion battery fires so far in 2026.
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