Faulty electronics is being blamed for problems associated with this year’s hottest Christmas gift – the hoverboard.
AOL.com is reporting on the self-balancing scooters, some of which are suspected of having a faulty plug that increases the risk of the device overheating, exploding, or catching fire – all of which can cause serious injury and property damage.
For example, a Louisiana couple lost their home after the FitTurbo hoverboard they bought for their 12 year-old son exploded in his bedroom and caused their home to burn to the ground.
“It was like a firework,” said homeowner Jessica Horne to local Louisiana station WGNO. “I saw sparks just flying and before I could yell, the house is on fire.”
“When it happened, I couldn’t believe it,” said her son, Hayden. “It was hard to put out because it was pretty big. It caught flames fast.”
Their home was completely destroyed.
Hoverboard burning in Florida
A Boca Raton, Florida family just barely escaped the same fate. Last week, 11 year-old Sophie Levine was playing with her hoverboard when she felt it getting hot. Luckily, she jumped off just as it burst into flames.
Sophie’s mother, Pamela, was able to put out the flames before firefighters arrived but she had to hire a crew to clean up the mess and repair damage to her kitchen.
David Evanosky, a member of the clean-up crew, said he just bought a hoverboard for his grandson.
“It’s the hottest thing out there. All the kids want it. I’ve got three grandkids that want it,” he told KHSB.
But after seeing what the toy did to Levine’s home, he’s going to return it.
“There’s no way I’m going to let my grandson on that thing,” he said. “I was going to buy two others.”
Shoppers at the Outlet Connection Mall in Auburn, Washington fled in a panic earlier this week after a hoverboard burst into flames, sending a portion of it shooting across the floor. No one was using the board at the time.
“For no reason, it just exploded,” said Kelli Steiner, an eyewitness. “And not just a little fire, exploded. Like combusted, the whole thing.”
Officials are definitely on alert to the toys, which are mostly made in China, and finding that very few of them are safe.
In the UK, the National Trading Standards Organization tested 17,000 hoverboards and found that 88 percent contained faulty electronics that caused them to explode.
In the U.S., The National Fire Marshals Organization issued an advisory on Friday, warning that explosions are “not a unique occurrence” in the gadgets.
Because most of the fires are occurring in cheaper versions of the toys, which can range anywhere from $200 to $2,400, consumers are being warned to stay away from the lower-priced versions and only purchase boards that come with a warranty. Packaging should include instructions on how to use the product safely and contain the manufacturer’s name and contact information in the event anything goes wrong.
Or they can avoid the toy completely until its hazardous design flaws are corrected.
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