CHAPPAQUA, N.Y., Dec. 10 (UPI) — A Westchester County, N.Y., house fire has become the latest blaze to be blamed on a hoverboard spontaneously bursting into flames.
The Chappaqua Fire Department said one of the two-wheeled, self-balancing scooters, commonly called hoverboards, caught firefight while charging in its owner’s living room.
The fire department said the fire was quickly extinguished, but it caused a charred floor and smoke damage.
The brand was identified as a Swagway Smart Balancing Board.
“If these people weren’t home, they would have had significant fire damage to their home and may have even lost their home,” Chappaqua Fire Chief Russell Maitland told WNBC-TV.
The chief said he is recommending shoppers abstain from buying the devices until the problems are addressed.
“At the fear of being Scrooge around the holiday time, I think people need to realize that this isn’t an isolated incident,” Maitland said. “It’s not something you want to roll the dice on and hope that yours isn’t one of the ones that’s gonna catch fire.”
The Outlet Collection mall in Seattle was evacuated Tuesday morning when a hoverboard burst into flames at a kiosk selling the devices. A shopper caught the flames on camera.
Jessica Horne of Lafitte, La., said the fire that destroyed her home Nov. 21 was started when a hoverboard left charging on a mattress started shooting off flames.
