BATON ROUGE, La. (WGNO) – Responding to the national exposure of WGNO’s story about a hoverboard that apparently exploded in a Lafitte home last week, the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) has issued a warning about hoverboard safety.
In a statement released Friday, the Fire Marshals announced an advisory that encourages consumers to try to find out whether the hoverboards are “in compliance with applicable and accepted inspection standards before making a purchase.”
Louisiana State Fire Marshal Butch Browning, who is also the president of the NASFM Board of Directors, says “unfortunately, the fire that occurred in Lafitte involving a hoverboard is not a unique occurrence.”
Browning cited the Lafitte fire and other fires “around the country and abroad,” as the Fire Marshals’ motivation “to address this serious issue on a national level.”
In addition to encouraging consumers to look for indications that hoverboards meet the safety standards of “recognized testing organizations,” which is sometimes but not always listed on the packaging, the Fire Marshals singled out hoverboard batteries as an area of major concern.
According to the news release, hoverboard owners should “take care when charging the scooters, ensuring that they are not overcharged or left unattended while charging. Precautions, such as following the manufacturer’s instructions when charging, and avoiding the use of improper or imitation chargers, should also be a priority.”
See WGNO’s story on the hoverboard fire in Lafitte here:
For more information on the National Association of State Fire Marshals, visit the organization’s website at www.firemarshals.org.