New York City fire: Firefighters remove an electric bike that appears to be burning from a blaze that seriously injured one man and left three others injured in Brooklyn, New York

NEW YORK — A man remains in critical condition after a massive fire at a New York City apartment building that firefighters say was started by a lithium-ion battery being charged.

The fire broke out inside the building shortly before 6:40 a.m. Thursday in Brooklyn.

At least four people were injured in the fire. One man was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The 30-year-old is being treated for severe burns at Staten Island University Hospital North.

The others treated for injuries are all expected to survive.

Dramatic video showed firefighters entering the lobby and removing what appeared to be an electric bike that was ablaze and blocking the stairwell. It is believed to be the property of one of the injured victims.

Several electric bike batteries were also reportedly found burning inside.

SEE ALSO: Child, teen killed in New York fire sparked by e-bike's lithium-ion battery, firefighters say

Neighbors applauded the FDNY and said they were heroes for stopping the spread so quickly.

“The fire was raging, and all the windows were broken, and the fire was all the way up to the roof, and these brave men, they were just on the ladders, just going on… like it was their life,” Lillian Crespo said.

Residents salvaged what they could and rummaged through the rubble. The Red Cross helps them find somewhere to stay.

Neighbors wonder how much of the damage could have been avoided if the e-bike had been used or stored more safely.

“It’s not going to stop, everyone in this neighborhood has a bicycle and a scooter, I mean everyone,” Crespo said.

The FDNY has been adamant about raising awareness about e-bike safety, and it seems to be working.

There were 13 deaths from lithium-ion batteries this time last year, and so far this year there has been one.