'Hoverboard' catches fire inside Arlington condo
ARLINGTON, Wash. -- Investigators with the Arlington Fire Department say a March 6 condo fire was caused by a so-called "hoverboard."
Fire crews were called to a condominium in the 18200 block of Smokey Point Boulevard and found the carpeting and couch inside one of the units on fire. Crews made quick work of the fire and kept it from spreading to neighboring units.
Nobody was home at the time and there were no injuries..
Neighbor Jake Hardwick heard the sirens and went out to see what was going on.
"They were pulling flaming, smoldering stuff out and hosing it down on the asphalt outside the house," he said.
Investigators examined the unit and came to the conclusion the fire was caused by a hoverboard left plugged into an outlet. The hoverboard, which doesn't actually hover, apparently overheated and burst into flames.
This is far from the first time one of the hoverboards has caught fire, and the Arlington Fire Department is now warning owners to use caution with the machines. Citing the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the department asks users to charge the boards in an open area, away from any combustible materials.
"They aren't joking around when they say those things are dangerous and can catch on fire," Hardwick said.
