Family ‘extremely lucky’ after safely evacuating housefire caused by hoverboard

A Cambridgeshire family were “extremely lucky” after safely evacuating a house fire caused by a controversial hoverboard toy which overheated while on charge.

Firefighters were called to their home in Fletton, Peterborough on Monday, June 1 after the red ride-on caught fire while it was left to charge.

Crews from Whittlesey, Dogsthorpe and Yaxley attended to find everyone had evacuated, one person did require treatment for smoke inhalation.

They arrived to find the fire in a first-floor bedroom of the two-story house, which they were able to extinguish wearing breathing apparatus and using a hose reel.

Crew Commander Chris Parker, from Dogsthorpe White Watch, said: “The fire was caused by a hoverboard that was charging in one of the bedrooms.

“Although it is common to leave things charging in another room, there is a risk that the plug or the appliance can overheat and cause a fire.

“In this case the fire spread to the carpet and could have gone further. The family was extremely lucky that this did not cause a more significant fire.

“When evacuating the property the owner showed great awareness to close the door on the way out, which helped limit the spread to other rooms of the house.

“They also had working smoke alarms that helped raise their awareness early to allow them to evacuate.

“This family had a lucky escape as they were alerted early by a smoke alarm and got out of the property quickly, as well as limited the damage by closing doors behind them.

“It’s also a reminder to take care when charging any electrical item and try not to leave it unattended where possible.”

For more information about preventing electrical fires in the home, visit: www.cambsfire.gov.uk/home-safety/