Hoverboard Explodes in Orland Park Home

A new Hoverboard plugged in to charge sparked a fire and caused minor damage to a family’s home in Orland Park Sunday, officials said.

Just before 5 p.m., 13-year-old Shanna Abraham had just plugged in the Smart Balance Wheel model when her mom smelled smoke, saw sparks and then flames. Shanna’s mother’s hand was burned in the incident, which took place in the 17200 block of Deer Trail.

“I was shaking. I was terrified. It was scary,” Shanna told ABC-7. The toy had been a late Christmas gift that arrived a week ago.

The hoverboard exploded four times, and “shot burning pieces” across the room, one of which landed on the couch, which then caught fire. The curtains also caught, as did the side of the wall.

A window shade and part of the couch had started burning but were extinguished by the homeowners, said Orland Fire Protection District Spokesman Ray Hanania. The fire was out on arrival of the Orland Fire District, but crews used power fans to clear the house of smoke.

Smoke detectors were operational and alerted other family members to the fire. One person was evaluated but did not want to be transported to the hospital. One person suffered minor smoke inhalation, and the fire caused minor damage to the home.

Some models of hoverboard have been implicated in multiple fires and explosions. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has investigated 40 incidents thus far.

The Smart Balance Wheel is among those manufacturers under investigation.