It has been heavily reported that Hoverboards (also known as Smart Balance Wheels or Balance Boards) are a potential fire risk in the home.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission warned against the use of the boards. Before Christmas, 1,400 Hoverboards were prevented from being imported to Ireland due to significant safety concerns.
The Commission’s spokesperson Fergal O’Leary said that the worry is over the potential risk of fire if a Hoverboard is charging and left unattended.
He stated:
“If there are issues with non-compliance – with the plugs, the chargers, the battery packs – they’re big devices and the potential for something going wrong is sufficient”.
Dublin Fire Brigade who have warned against the use of the devices have taken to Twitter to share images of fire which occurred yesterday evening.
Dublin Fire Brigade were called to the blaze in Artane after the board caught fire.
The fire spread to a nearby laptop and couch. Nobody was injured.
We attended a hoverboard on fire in a house this evening in Artane. The device was charging when it overheated 1/2 pic.twitter.com/H31YKFLL0I
— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) February 25, 2016
and caught fire, spreading to a laptop and a couch. House was smoke logged and fire was contained. No injuries. 2/2 pic.twitter.com/uZF6HTkTDe
— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) February 25, 2016
