Accidental Fires May Extinguish The Hoverboard Fad

The explosive hoverboard fad has fanned flames of frustration and a risk of fire isn’t helping their image.
 

By Alain StephensFebruary 24, 2016 8:58 pm,

You’ve seen them on television, on Facebook, and probably rolling down the side walk outside your very own home: hoverboards. The electric powered, two-wheeled, self-balancing devices that kids and parents alike were scrambling to get their hands on this past Christmas.

Now it seems people may be scrambling to get them out of the house and into the trash can, after people found out the boards are prone to bursting into flames. A video of one sparking a fire in a Texas mall earlier this year went viral, and there have been a number of house fires tied to the little devices malfunctioning.

Here to talk about what could be the death of the hover – ahem, glide – board is Digital Savant of the Austin American-Statesman, Omar Gallaga.

Gallaga says retailers including Amazon and Walmart are pulling their stock and getting out of this business.

“If you’re giving a kid a device that’s known for exploding, that’s probably not a good idea,” he says.

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– How hoverboards became popular in the first place

– The often cheap components that put them at risk for fire

– What parents are doing and how companies have responded