A charging hoverboard started a fire that damaged a home in Kingston Sunday night, the state fire marshal’s office said in a statement.
The fire broke out at a single-family home at 131 Country Club Way around 7:30 p.m., officials said. The residents reported the fire and put it out with a fire extinguisher on their own, authorities said.
The flames caused about $10,000 in damage, but the home’s residents were not displaced, Kingston Deputy Fire Chief Adam Hatch said. No one was injured.
A hoverboard that was being charged in a third-floor family room sparked the flames, investigators said. The charging cord, which was being used for the first time, caused the hoverboard’s battery pack to explode, officials said.
Advertisement
This is the second time a hoverboard has set a home in Massachusetts ablaze over the last month. Five people were displaced when a hoverboard sparked a two-alarm fire in Andover in April.
“Use only chargers supplied with the hoverboard or by the manufacturer," Kingston Fire Chief Mark Douglass said in the statement. "Only charge a hoverboard when you are there to watch it and do not charge unattended, especially overnight. Overcharging can cause a fire.”
Officials said hoverboards must be compliant with national safety standards.
“It is important to purchase a hoverboard that has been approved by an independent testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratory," State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey said in the statement. "When purchasing online, be on the lookout for fraudulent claims.”
Visit the US. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s webpage for more information on hoverboard safety.
Caroline Enos can be reached at caroline.enos@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @CarolineEnos.