Malfunctioning Hoverboard Causes Fire At Marple Twp. Apartment Complex: Officials

MARPLE TOWNSHIP, PA — A malfunctioning lithium-ion-powered hoverboard caused a small fire Saturday at an apartment building in Marple Township, officials said.

The fire started around 4:30 p.m. in a complex on the 3000 block of West Chester Pike, according to the Broomall Fire Company.

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Crews found smoke in a lower-level apartment, which led them to the hoverboard — a self-balancing personal transportation device.

The small fire was extinguished with no reported injuries.

Lithium-ion batteries have become a growing concern. A recent federal study says the batteries have caused about 200,000 structure fires since 2011, with plug-in vehicle fires becoming 45 percent more common per year.

A fire from a hoverboard's lithium-ion battery destroyed a Philadelphia home last month.