Following the death of two sisters in Pennsylvania, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said Thursday that it will recall approximately 53,000 hoverboards due to fire risks.
Officials said that the voluntary recall impacts certain 42-volt Jetson Rogue self-balancing scooters due to their lithium-ion battery packs that can sometimes overheat, spark, catch fire, or even melt.
The recall was announced following an investigation by the Hellertown Borough Fire Marshal, in Pennsylvania, where investigators determined that a 10-year-old girl and her 15-year-old sister died after a 42-volt Jetson Rogue caught fire inside their home on April 1st last year.
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Though the cause of the fire remains undetermined, CPSC said in a statement the "Hellertown Borough Fire Marshal determined that a 42-volt Jetson Rogue was the point of origin of the fire."
"The fire then spread from the room of origin to other portions of the house, resulting in the deaths of the two girls and smoke inhalation injuries to the girls’ parents."
According to CPSC, there have been "multiple other reports" of the recalled hoverboards burning, sparking, or melting, several of which involved reports of flames.
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CPSC and Jetson are urging consumers to immediately stop using and charging the recalled 42-volt version of the self-balancing scooters/hoverboards.
The recalled scooters/hoverboards were sold at Target stores nationwide and online from August 2018 through June 2019 and at www.ridejetson.com from January 2019 through November 2021 for between $100 and $150.
Consumers have been asked to contact the company for a full refund.
More information is available through the CPSC by calling 800-638-2772 or visiting www.cpsc.gov.
