Rad Energy Bikes warehouse catches hearth following flammable battery warnings

In a wierd accident, a hearth broke out this week on the Rad Energy Bikes retail retailer warehouse in Huntington Seaside, California, Electrek reports. The structural blaze got here lower than two months after the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned clients to “instantly cease” utilizing and get rid of among the firm’s e-bike batteries attributable to hearth hazard. In December, Rad filed for Chapter 11 chapter safety, stating it could not afford to recall the batteries.

“We’re working with native authorities to evaluation a thermal incident that occurred at our Huntington Seaside retailer Sunday night,” a Rad Energy Bikes spokesperson informed Engadget. “The incident was contained and occurred whereas the shop was closed. The reason for the hearth has not been confirmed.”

The current two-alarm hearth hit a industrial complicated with a number of companies. Footage from the fire exhibits e-bikes outdoors of the warehouse as firemen fought the blaze. Engadget has reached out to Rad for extra info on the hearth’s impression.

The CPSC’s November warning informed of 31 studies of fireside, with 12 of these involving property injury. In some circumstances, the battery was in storage, not being charged or used, but nonetheless caught hearth. The CPSC informed clients to eliminate (in a protected, detailed method) particular fashions of Rad’s lithium-ion batteries. It claimed that the “hazardous” batteries had been susceptible to igniting or exploding, much more if moist or interacting with particles.

Rad informed the CPSC it could not recall the batteries because it could not afford to supply replacements and refunds. “Rad supplied a number of good-faith options to deal with the company’s issues, together with providing customers a chance to improve to Protected Protect batteries (described under) at a considerable low cost. CPSC rejected this chance,” Rad Power Bikes said in a statement on the time. “The numerous price of the all-or-nothing demand would drive Rad to close its doorways instantly, leaving no strategy to assist our riders or our workers.”

The corporate additionally mentioned it disagreed with the CPSC’s “characterization of sure Rad batteries as faulty or unsafe.” It additionally pointed to the incident charge being under one % and said that each one lithium-ion batteries include a danger when clients do issues — resembling improper charging and extreme publicity to moisture — that Rad cautions towards.

Replace, January 20 2026, 11:08AM ET: This story has been up to date to incorporate an announcement from Rad Energy Bikes.