Stoneham House Fire Blamed On Recharging Hoverboard
STONEHAM (CBS/AP) — Fire investigators say a battery-powered hoverboard was to blame for a fire that severely damaged a Stoneham home last month.
Stoneham Fire Chief Matthew Grafton and state Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said Thursday a teenager in the Flint Avenue home escaped through a second-floor window and a dog was treated for smoke inhalation. Damages to the single-family home in the Oct. 12 blaze are estimated at $200,000.
Investigators say the fire started on the first floor at the hoverboard left charging underneath the kitchen table.
The fire was ruled accidental, but it remains unclear whether there was a failure of the hoverboard itself, the charger, or if the hoverboard had been left plugged in for too long.
Grafton says hoverboards should never be left unattended or on a flammable surface while charging.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)