Lacey Hoverboard Latest To Catch Fire, Officials Say

LACEY, NJ -- A Lacey Township family’s home suffered minor damage after a hoverboard burst into flames while charging, firefighters said.

The incident Sunday is one of several that have occurred across the country, according to media reports. CNET.com reported there have been more than a dozen incidents of the gadget, which was one of the most popular Christmas wish list items this year, catching fire.

The Lanoka Harbor Fire Station 61 Facebook page reported the fire and warned hoverboard owners to be careful while charging them.

“Do not leave them unattended,” the post said. ”Monitor them while charging ... register them for warranties and check for manufacturer recalls.”

NJ.com reported the family was home at the time of the fire, and that there were no injuries. A piece of carpet was damaged but the fire was contained, the report said.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has been working on the issue ”nonstop” since before Christmas to determine why the boards are catching on fire, according to a statement on the CPSC website.

“CPSC engineers in our National Product Testing and Evaluation Center in Maryland have tested and will continue to test new and damaged boards in search of an answer for why some models caught fire during the charging stage and others caught fire while in use,” the statement from Elliot Kaye, chairman of the commission, reads.

“Our expert staff is looking particularly closely at the configuration of the battery packs and compatibility with the chargers,” he said.

The boards use lithium-ion batteries, similar to those used in a variety of products such as cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices.

The Lacey fire is under investigation by the Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, the fire company said.