Hoverboard Catches Fire Inside Brentwood Home
BRENTWOOD (KPIX 5) – As hoverboards become one of the most popular gifts of the holiday season, one of the toys caught fire inside a Brentwood home Monday night.
The gift that caused the fire was still in the entryway of the home early Tuesday, and the family is still shaken up.
Aliyah Denny says her 15-year-old sister stepped on the hoverboard when it was charging. That's when it started popping.
"And she was screaming, trying to get someone to help. My uncle came out and tried pouring water on it," Denny recalled. "I had run downstairs because I heard the fire alarms. We tried getting my younger sisters out of the house just in case. Right away, the fire trucks came and it was all scary and kind of panicked."
Denny went on to say, "It almost exploded in her hands. It basically started to burn up the wall towards the entrance of our house."
The Denny Family had the hoverboard for about a week and had not heard about the dangers after purchasing two of them on Amazon for $235 apiece. The second hoverboard that did not catch fire, and the family plans plan on getting rid of both soon.
"Right after my mom ordered it, she started seeing reports about them exploding and then having issues. But you never think, 'Oh, that might happen to us,'" Denny said. "You hear it all over TV and you different reports of it. But you never think, 'Oh, that's going to be my family.'"
There have been 11 reports of hoverboards catching fire in 10 states. Recently, airlines have banned hoverboards on planes over the possible fire risk.
Because of the risks, Amazon and Overstock.com aren't selling the hoverboards anymore.
While she wasn't burned, Denny said she was injured and suffered a concussion after falling off the same hoverboard sometime earlier.
"It basically launched me off and I hit the floor," Denny recalled.
The Denny family is seeking a refund from Amazon and plans to file an insurance claim.
