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Westchester Hoverboard Fire One Of Several Reported Across Country

CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. -- A hoverboard electric skateboard toy fire at a Chappaqua home earlier this week has garnered attention and is the latest of several similar incidents reported around the country.

The aftermath of a hoverboard fire at a home in Chappaqua.

The aftermath of a hoverboard fire at a home in Chappaqua.

Photo Credit: Contributed

Since the Chappaqua Fire Department announced the fire on Sunday, neighboring fire departments in Westchester County have shared the announcement. Among the neighbors spreading the news, for example, are the ArmonkNorth White Plains and Thornwood fire departments, which shared it on their Facebook pages.

The hoverboard fire in Chappaqua involved a Swagway Smart Balancing Electric Skateboard Black (purchased from Models Online), officials said.

Meanwhile, multiple reports state that there have been hoverboard fires in various states, with damage to homes being among the outcomes in some cases.

One possible cause for the fires, according to NBC Nightly News,is the use of cheap lithium-ion batteries. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is now investigating the matter, NBC reported.

In Chappaqua, the local fire led to "considerable smoke damage to the residence," the fire department noted in its announcement. 

Residents were home at the time, the fire department notes, but had they not been present their home "would have sustained severe damage."

The fire department plans to notify both the Consumer Product Safety Commissioner and the state's Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

If people are considering buying hoverboards for the holiday season, Chappaqua Fire Chief Russell Maitland advises would-be shoppers to wait until the cause of the problem is identified and resolved. For those who have already purchased hoverboards, Maitland advises that they be returned to where they were bought.

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