D.C. fire officials are sounding an alarm after another hoverboard fire caused a house to go up in flames, leaving a mother and four children with nowhere to go.
The fire ripped through a home near C Street Southeast just before 1 a.m. Wednesday. It's the second hoverboard-related fire that D.C.’s fire department has responded to in the past two weeks.
“I don’t know what’s coming next, like, I don’t know what to do,” India Smith said.
Hours after the blaze, Smith showed News4 what’s left of her home — smoke-stained, peeling walls; large holes exposing insulation and beams alongside debris covering a hallway floor.
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Smith also pulled out the charred hoverboard that was broken in two, exposing the wiring. She said she had heard the horror stories about hoverboard fires and was always cautious about charging it.
“There’s no more hoverboard, as you can plainly see,” she said. “I didn’t think it was going to happen to me… like, trying to bring the child joy brought me and my family pain.”
The family got home late, and the toy had only been plugged in for about 30 minutes, Smith said.
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Then, she heard a shocking “pop, pop, pop, pop, pop” followed by a “boom, boom, boom” and flames.
“Be careful what you buy your children,” Smith said. “Don’t buy a hoverboard. It could leave you out in the street with your kids.”
D.C. fire officials issued a warning about the popular toy and its lithium-ion batteries. Those batteries may power devices including e-scooters and e-cigarettes. Defective or improperly used batteries can become volatile, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
"Stop using the battery if you notice these problems: odor, change in color, too much heat, change in shape, leaking, or odd noises," the association said.
“The battery overheats, and it just perpetuates a cycle until it eventually ignites and causes a serious fire,” D.C. fire marshal Mitchell Kannry said.
To avoid dangerous tragedy, D.C. firefighters recommend these precautions:
- Buy devices only from reputable sources.
- Only use the charger that comes with a device.
- Unplug devices once they’re fully charged.
- Charge devices in a safe area away from anything flammable including rugs, curtains, clothes or furniture.
