Wisconsin Family has Hoverboard Catch Fire, Causes $60,000 Home Damage

RACINE, WI — They were the gift of Christmas 2015. More than 500,000 self-balancing hoverboard/scooters were sold everywhere from Big box stores to Amazon.com.

A year later, 10 firms have recalled self-balancing scooters/hover boards due to fire hazard, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Hoverboard Fire in Racine

On Saturday afternoon, April 8, Racine police say one such hoverboard caught fire, resulting in $60,000 in damage through the entire second floor of a two story home near 14th St. and College Ave. in Racine.

Although firefighters quickly put the fire out, the damage spread and caused extensive damage. Although the fire could have led to further tragedies, the fire department said the occupants of the home were able to get out safely.

Recall Notice

The Consumer Product Safety Commission stated that, "after months of excellent, around-the-clock work by our engineers, investigators and compliance customers’ officers, CPSC has secured the recall of more than a half-million hoverboards by 10 different companies,” CPSC Chairman Elliot F. Kaye said in a statement. “This is a major recall that families and consumers across the country should respond to — immediately.”

Click here for a full list of the more than 500,000 scooters being recalled, along with links to what response the recalling companies are taking.

The major manufacturers of hoverboards, including Swagway and Razor, are offering refunds, repairs or replacement hoverboards, depending on the model.

Ashley Ludwig (Patch Staff) contributed to this report