LAFITTE, La. -- A Louisiana woman says her son's so-called hoverboard caught fire while charging, destroying their home.
Five days before Thanksgiving, Jessica Horne's 12-year-old son received a hoverboard. The futuristic skateboards are powered by lithium batteries and allows riders to move on wheels, steering with their feet.
A day after he first used the hoverboard, the boy was charging the battery when flames started shooting from both ends.
Although Horne had heard of injuries caused by people falling off hoverboards, she told WGNO she has never heard that a hoverboard might catch fire.
"It was like fireworks ... the middle part of the board -- just poof," Horne said. She said the fire was so intense that her house was in flames within minutes.
The hoverboard was purchased from Fit Turbo on Amazon.com, according to the report.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission told WGNO there have been eight reported injuries in the last three months involving hoverboards that required a trip to the emergency room. However, all of the injuries were related to falls, not fires.
"Federal rules prevent (the agency) from speaking specifically about a brand name product," an agency spokesman said. However, the CPSC "strongly encourages" consumers to report product safety issues.
The Louisiana fire marshal's office is investigating the fire.
