Aftermath of a hoverboard that caught on fire last month in a Gaithersburg home, via Pete Piringer
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) personnel are on the lookout for fires caused by hoverboards this holiday season after one occurred last month in a Gaithersburg home.
Pete Piringer, spokesperson for the MCFRS, said the Gaithersburg incident happened Nov. 8 in a second-floor bedroom of a home in the 7700 block of Mineral Springs Drive.
The fire, which Piringer said started when the hoverboard was recharging, caused a few thousand dollars’ worth of damage after it spread to nearby bedding. No one was injured in the incident.
“Our fire investigators have been alerted. There has been a lot of discussion about this in various circles, but this fire put it on the radar for them,” Piringer said. “This time of year, [hoverboards] should be real popular.”
The devices, some which are two-wheeled and self-balancing, are a popular holiday gift.
Major airlines Delta, American and United announced Thursday they will ban hoverboards from flights, joining a host of other airlines that had already banned the electric scooters over concerns that lithium-ion batteries in many of the devices are a fire risk.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating at least 10 hoverboard fires in nine states, including some reports of fires that happened when the devices were charging.
