Fire Sparked by Hoverboard Destroys Nashville Mansion, Authorities Say
— -- A fire sparked from a hoverboard destroyed a Tennessee mansion last month, fire officials said, spreading so quickly that a 16-year-old girl had to jump from a second-story window into her father's arms.
On the evening of Jan. 9, two teenagers hid upstairs in their Nashville home after hearing noises coming from the first floor, unaware that they were coming from a Fiturbo F1 hoverboard that had burst into flames, the Nashville Fire Department said in a statement as it unveiled the results on an investigation into the blaze. After the 16-year-old girl jumped from the second floor as smoke approached, the father helped her 14-year-old brother climb down with a ladder, fire officials said.
The teenagers were taken to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt with minor injuries, the fire department said. Their father, who injured his arm while catching his daughter, drove himself to the emergency room.
The 4,000-square-foot home, worth $1 million, was completely destroyed in the fire, Nashville Fire Department Public Information Officer Brian Haas told ABC News today. It is unclear if the family will rebuild the home, he added.
The hoverboard that caused the fire was burned so badly that fire officials will likely be unable to determine whether it was charging at the time the fire sparked, Haas said.
"We are fortunate that there were only minor injuries in what was an extremely dangerous fire," Nashville Fire Chief Rick White said. "We hope Nashvillians use extreme caution before purchasing or using these hoverboards."
After an investigation, the fire department discovered that another Fiturbo F1 hoverboard, bought from the same batch by friends of the family, sparked a small fire in the battery compartment as it was charging, according to the fire department. Only the hoverboard was damaged in that fire.
The Fiturbo F1 hoverboard is no longer available on Amazon.com. A representative for Fiturbo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Nashville Fire Department advised that hoverboard owners always use the manufacturer-supplied charger and to follow the manufacturer's recommended charging times. It also advised against overcharging the devices and leaving a device unattended while it charges.
"If you're going to be charging it, make sure you’re there watching it," Haas said. "Do not leave it plugged in overnight."
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is currently investigating dozens of fires across the United States thought to be caused by hoverboards, according to the Nashville Fire Department.
