Update: Overheated hoverboard batteries ruled cause of Worcester fire
WORCESTER ― Overheated lithium-ion batteries in hoverboards caused a Wednesday morning fire in Worcester, said Assistant Fire Chief Adam Roche.
The 6:15 a.m., one-alarm fire at 214 East Mountain St. was confined to one room in a duplex and was put out quickly. There were no injuries, said Roche. Four people living in the duplex were displaced.
Several hoverboards were being charged in the room when firefighters arrived on the scene, and its unclear why the batteries overheated, said Roche. Investigators initially focused on the charger as a potential cause of the fire.
After firefighters put out the flames, the batteries were taken outside and submerged in a bucket of water. Owners of the batteries are responsible for getting rid of them, said Roche.
Putting out fires caused by overheated lithium-ion batteries is a challenge, and firefighters statewide are discussing the best ways to do it, according to Roche.
"It's a hot topic and we have to kind of be diligent and pay attention and come up with a process on how to handle these situations," said Roche of the danger reportedly linked to hoverboards and their lithium-ion batteries that could overheat. "We know it's going to be an issue because it's a national issue."
More than 50,000 Jetson Rogue hoverboards were recalled after a fire killed two women in Hellertown, Pennsylvania, in 2022. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an alert in 2015 to warn the public about hoverboards and their risk of catching fire or overheating.
Roche couldn't recall a prior fire in Worcester linked to a hoverboard. He said some fires in the city have been caused by a lithium-ion battery: One in a cellphone, another a laptop and one a battery at an auto shop.
To reduce the risk of fire, the U.S. Product Safety Commission recommends using only the charger supplied with the hoverboard; not charging unattended, especially at night; and keeping away from flammable items while charging or storing a hoverboard.
Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on X: @henrytelegram.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester fire caused by overheated hoverboard batteries
