Raging e-bike fire that killed boy, 11, claims his two brothers and dad's girlfriend - The Mercury News

Raging e-bike fire that killed boy, 11, claims his two brothers and dad’s girlfriend – The Mercury News

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The Bronx Fire Devastates a Family as Five Succumb to Injuries

A ferocious e-bike battery fire that tore through an 11th-floor apartment in the Bronx Patterson Houses on Wednesday morning has claimed five lives, leaving only the family’s father hospitalized in critical condition, The Mercury News reported.

The tragedy began at approximately 12:50 a.m. on October 28, 2026, when a lithium-ion battery in an e-bike ignited in the kitchen of the apartment on Morris Avenue near East 140th Street. The blaze rapidly blocked the unit’s sole exit, trapping five residents inside. Firefighters arrived within four minutes, forcing open the door to heavy flames and thick smoke. FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito noted that several firefighters crawled past the uncontrolled fire to search the apartment and pull victims out.

Loss of Young Lives and Family Members

Eleven-year-old Zion Maine died at Jacobi Medical Center shortly after the fire. On Friday, the toll deepened when relatives and officials confirmed that Zion’s two half-brothers had also died. Family members made the agonizing decision to take 15-year-old CJ Maine off life support at Jacobi Hospital, while 16-year-old Jamaree Adam succumbed to his injuries at the hospital the same day. Jamaree was the son of Syida Adam, the 33-year-old longtime girlfriend of the boys’ father. Late Friday night, Fire Department officials confirmed that Syida Adam had also died.

“CJ passed away,” Zion’s aunt, Porcha Wildman, told the Daily News Friday afternoon.

The boys’ father, 37-year-old Courtney Maine, remained hospitalized in a medically induced coma in critical condition. The family’s pit bull, Roscoe, also perished in the blaze. Relatives shared that Zion had been grieving the loss of his mother, who died from breast cancer roughly a year prior.

Origins of the E-Bike and City Safety Warnings

According to crestfallen relatives, the e-bike that sparked the deadly blaze was a gift to Courtney Maine from a friend so he could secure extra work to provide for his family. Porcha Wildman noted that her brother-in-law worked at a car wash while picking up painting and carpentry jobs to support his household. “His friend saw him riding a kid’s bike, so he gave him the new bike,” Justin Wildman said.

FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore stated that the battery’s placement in the kitchen made escape impossible. City officials highlighted the escalating danger of substandard lithium-ion batteries. Mayor Mamdani addressed reporters at the scene, emphasizing how quickly these battery fires start and spread. Bonsignore reported that lithium-ion battery fires had sparked 401 blazes citywide in 2026 up to that point, resulting in 74 injuries and six deaths, compared to 292 fires, 51 injuries, and one death during the previous year. Officials urged residents to store and charge batteries outside homes when possible, avoid blocking exits, never leave charging batteries unattended, and purchase certified equipment free of damage.

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