Lafitte Family Says ‘Exploding’ Hoverboard Destroyed Their Home [VIDEO]
A Lafitte family is blaming an "exploding" hoverboard for their home being destroyed.
Jessica Horne says her son couldn't wait to get the hoverboard he had been asking for, and five days before Thanksgiving the 12-year-old boy was finally able to open up one of the most sought-after holiday items.
Commonly referred to as "hoverboards" or "hoverwheels," these futuristic skateboards are powered by lithium batteries and allow riders to motor around using their feet to steer.
Just one day after her son used the hoverboard, he was charging the battery when the toy "exploded." According to WGNO, Jessica said the fire was so intense that within minutes the family's home was in flames.
Jessica was aware of the injuries due to people falling off the hoverboards, but had never heard of any hoverboards catching on fire—so needless to say, she was shocked when she saw flames shooting from both ends of the toy.
It was like fireworks
The pricing of these hoverboards vary by company, and some reports have warned about "super-cheap" boards spontaneously combusting due to poor quality of the batteries used in their design.
According to their shipping order, the family ordered their hoverboard from a company called "Fit Turbo" through Amazon.com
WGNO reports that in the last three months there have been eight reported injuries requiring a trip to the emergency room, but "all of the injuries were related to falls—not fires."
The Consumer Product Safety Commission "strongly encourages" consumers to report any issues related to product safety to SaferProducts.gov.
The fire is currently under investigation by the Louisiana fire marshal's office and we will update the story when more information is available.
[via WGNO]