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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.

STONEHAMFIRE
The home on Flint Avenue in Stoneham that caught fire Saturday. (Photo Credit: Stoneham Fire Department)

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.)

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