Erie-area man says hoverboard sparked fire that destroyed SUV
That's why they hadn't given it to him, and why it was stashed in their SUV, parked in the garage, when they went to bed Tuesday.
A fire appeared to have started in the hoverboard in the vehicle's cargo area.
Tecza said an adjuster from
Those concerns about fires, linked to overheating in the device's lithium ion batteries, have prompted bans by some airlines as well as by Mercyhurst,
"My wife had called and wanted to ship it back," Tecza said. "They assured us it was safe. The batteries were safe."
The couple feels as if they dodged a bullet.
Before that night, the hoverboard had been sitting not in the car, but inside their home on
Tecza said he suspects the fire could have spread further, possibly to the bedroom above the garage where his wife was sleeping, if not for the fact that the windows of the car were up, limiting the oxygen supply.
"If there was just one little crack in that window, the car would have burned the house down," he said.
This fire joins a growing list of reports linking fires to hoverboard batteries. Earlier this year, the
Swagway did not respond Thursday afternoon to questions about the safety of its hoverboards.
However, the
"It is unknown if the Segway hoverboards comply with any safety requirements," UL said in a statement.
Tecza is cautious about assessing blame for the fire.
"You can draw your own conclusions," he said.
What he knows for sure is his grandson won't be getting a hoverboard.
"I told him he's getting something else," Tecza said.
hoverboard basics
- Do your research before purchasing a hoverboard. There have been reports of fires being cause by lithium ion batteries.
- If you experience damage, call your insurance agent before you clean it up or throw it away so that evidence can be preserved. Fire damage would typically be covered under a homeowner policy. In the case of fires caused by hoverboards, it's possible that the manufacturer would have some responsibility as well.
SOURCE:
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