Two fires in three months in Nashville were caused by the self-balancing scooters called hoverboards, spurring officials to issue warnings Tuesday about keeping one inside a home.
When family friends recommended the product, Brian and Megan Fox purchased a FITURBO F1 hoverboard as a Christmas gift for their son. Devices bought by both families, which shared a batch number, caused two separate fires.
The smaller fire was controlled before damage spread beyond the hoverboard, and portions of the device remained intact. This allowed investigators to
zero in on issues with the batteries.
According to Nashville Assistant Fire Marshal Billy Deering
, who supervises the fire investigations unit, “a
ll the damage here is to the part that houses the lithium batteries, and we believe that the lithium batteries are at the root cause of these fires.”
The lithium-ion battery and recharging system have also been thought to cause dozens of other fires across the country. That’s why the Nashville Fire Department is advising consumers to be careful.
“Do not leave it unattended while charging or plugged into an outlet overnight,” the Fire Department warned in a press release. “Do not overcharge the device, and follow the manufacturer’s recommended charging times.”
The Foxes fell victim to a larger fire, which the fire department has officially traced to the family’s
FITURBO.
On Jan. 9, it
destroyed their 4,000-square-foot home on Radcliff Drive, causing an estimated $1 million in damage.
This was the first confirmed house fire caused by a hoverboard in Tennessee, and it also threatened
the lives of the family. The eldest children were at home when the blaze began — unaware that their hoverboard
had burst into flames, authorities said.
Daughter Hailey, 16, kicked out her second-story bathroom window and leapt into her father’s arms below. Matthew, 14, ran upstairs after burning his hand in a struggle with a downstairs door. He broke through a window as well before his father — outside on a ladder — helped carry him down.
At the family’s rental property today, the Foxes made a statement on the situation. Their warnings, included below in audio form, complement those released by state and local officials.
The latest warning from officials
follows concerns raised before Christmas by the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office
, which provided a long list of precautions about the self-balancing scooters.
This story has been corrected to accurately describe the nature of the fires. One was a destructive house fire, and the second damaged only the scooter.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM