Hoverboard Fires, Again: 2 More Blazes in Anne Arundel

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MILLERSVILLE, MD — The Christmas present from hell – the “hoverboard” – is likely to blame for two house fires in Anne Arundel County, fire officials say.

The most recent incident occurred in Shady Side March 12 when a charging hoverboard started a house fire while the residents were away from home, say the Anne Arundel County Fire Department. Neighbors heard the home’s smoke alarms sounding and called 911. Damage to the home is estimated at $15,000.

A hoverboard inside a garbage truck sparked a fire Feb. 11 when the truck was on the ramp from Quarterfield Road to I-97 North. Firefighters bagged up the hoverboard and reported the incident to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Malfunctioning hoverboard chargers are at fault in a number of fires that have moved some retailers and airlines to ban the devices.

The self-balancing scooters are blamed for house fires from Louisiana to New York in recent months, as well as one catching fire in a Washington state mall, prompting an evacuation of shoppers.

Wired says the problem with the devices seems to be defects with the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries inside the hoverboards. Cheaper versions of the boards have poor quality batteries, and those are prone to overheating and fires. Some types of chargers also seem to be more likely to failure.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue says on it blog that a Nov. 8 house fire in the 7700 block of Mineral Springs Drive in Gaithersburg was caused by a hoverboard plugged into a charger in a bedroom. The scooter caught fire and rolled to the bed, igniting the bedding material.

Firefighters offer a couple of safety tips on hoverboards:

Only buy a hoverboard that has been certified by a recognized testing lab such as Underwriters Laboratory. The box and/or hoverboard should have the logo imprinted on it.

If you own one already - only charge the hoverboard if you are present the entire time.

Before Christmas, the country’s three largest airlines – American, Delta and United – said they will not allow hoverboards either in carry-on or checked luggage, USA Today reports. Southwest Airlines joined in the ban. Small airlines, including JetBlue and Alaska Airlines, had already barred the devices from their flights.

»Photo of charred hoverboard that caught fire in Gaithersburg, courtesy of Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services blog