Popular toy hot for all the wrong reasons
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Based on their popularity, young people clearly think hoverboards are pretty cool.
And chances are they think explosions are pretty cool, too.
But hoverboards that burst into flames and burn their houses down? That's not very likely to be on anyone's list of favorite things, regardless of how “hot” hoverboards may be as a Christmas present.
Unfortunately, that's a risk they may have to face. According to experts, hoverboards, in particular the cheaper versions made by knockoff companies, are exploding at an alarming rate.
In one case, for instance, a Louisiana family lost their home after their 12-year-old son's hoverboard, which he had received the previous day as a birthday gift, exploded into flames. Other incidents have also been reported in Florida and Alabama.
According to an article in Wired magazine, the explosions were caused by the cheap lithium-ion batteries these hoverboards used.
Experts recommend people refrain from buying these inexpensive hoverboards altogether. As for those who still feel they cannot live without one — go ahead, but have a modicum of common sense, and keep a fire extinguisher or bucket of water nearby, just in case.
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