E-bike battery blamed for police fire

BOISE – A battery from one of the new e-bikes for the Coeur d'Alene Police Department was blamed for the recent fire that destroyed a building filled with police vehicles, gear and equipment.

“This was an unfortunate and unexpected failure that caused the fire and is being ruled an accident,” State Fire Marshal Knute Sandahl said in a press release. 

Fire investigators from the Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department completed their investigation of the Coeur d’Alene Police storage building that occurred in the early morning hours of June 9.

The Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office was tasked as the lead investigating agency due to the complexities and high-dollar loss of this fire, estimated in the millions. ATF provided additional assistance due to the large loss from a government entity.

“This was a difficult, multi-day investigation,” Sandahl said. "There were many complex aspects of the fire that needed to be sorted out."

Fire pattern analysis had investigators focus on recently acquired battery-operated e-bicycles, one of which clearly showed evidence of a catastrophic failure of the lithium-ion battery pack that was being charged after being used that evening by police, the release said. 

Officers assigned to bike patrol had received training on the e-bicycles’ use and charging after use, before they were placed into service. 

"Examination of the charging station showed that it was properly plugged into an outlet and there was no evidence of misuse or prior damage of either the e-bicycle or charging unit," the release said.

Police lost about 10 vehicles in the Sunday morning blaze, including an incident command trailer, a SWAT BearCat armored unit, nearly 100 laptops, e-bikes and everything associated with its canine program.

 Sandahl said a forensic analysis will be conducted by the city’s insurance company, but the results will not be known for several months. 

“This is pretty typical for an insurance company because the failed product is so new, and the loss is so great,” Sandahl added.