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Manufacturer Recalls Hoverboard Linked to Fatal Hellertown Fire

Hoverboard Fire Hellertown Fatal Recall

The manufacturer of a hoverboard that has been linked to a deadly Hellertown house fire has recalled more than 50,000 of the devices.

Est. Read Time: 3 mins

The manufacturer of a hoverboard that has been linked to a deadly Hellertown house fire has recalled more than 50,000 of the devices.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced in a news release Thursday that approximately 53,000 Jetson Rogue 42-volt self-balancing scooters/hoverboards have been recalled due to “lithium-ion battery packs…(that) can overheat, posing a fire hazard.”

The news release linked the deaths of 15-year-old Brianna Baer and 10-year-old Abigail Kaufman on April 1, 2022 to the malfunctioning hoverboards, stating that “the Hellertown Borough Fire Marshal determined that a 42-volt Jetson Rogue was the point of origin of the fire” while noting that “the cause of the fire remains undetermined.”

The sisters died after their home on Linden Avenue caught fire, with investigators later determining the blaze began in a first floor bedroom.

“There have been multiple other reports of the recalled scooters/hoverboards burning, sparking or melting, several of which involved reports of flames,” however to date the only fatalities that have been connected to the hoverboards are the two in Hellertown, the release said.

CPSC and Brooklyn-based Jetson Electric Bikes LLC are urging anyone who owns one of the recalled hoverboards to immediately stop charging and using it, and to contact Jetson online for a full refund. Photos and information to help consumers determine if their hoverboard is included in the recall may also be found on the Jetson website.

Units included in the recall were manufactured from 2018 through 2019 and have a UL certification label and serial number on the bottom of the unit, the release said. The affected hoverboards were sold in Target stores an on Target.com from August 2018 through June 2019, and on RideJetson.com from January 2019 through November 2021 for between $100 and $150. A Target store is where the parents of the girls who died in the fire purchased it, according to an amended lawsuit attorneys representing the family filed in U.S. District Court last year.

The recall notice instructed consumers who own a recalled Jetson hoverboard not to deposit its lithium-ion battery in battery recycling boxes found at many retailers or home improvement stores or to throw it away, due to safety concerns. Instead, “consumers should follow the procedures established by their municipal recycling center for disposal of recalled lithium-ion batteries,” it said.

In its announcement of the recall, Jetson also told consumers to be vigilant when charging any “microbility devices” such as a hoverboard.

“CPSC has recently reminded consumers to exercise caution and safety with micromobility devices such as hoverboards,” the company said. “Always be present when charging such devices and only charge them with their supplied charger.”

For more information about hoverboards and related safety issues, see visit CPSC.gov.

Hoverboard Fire Hellertown Fatal Recall

Pictured above is the recalled 42-volt Jetson Rogue self-balancing scooter/hoverboard which federal consumer safety officials have linked to an April 1, 2022 house fire that claimed two girls’ lives in Hellertown. In announcing the units’ recall by their manufacturer, Jetson Electric Bikes LLC, the Consumer Product Safety Commission Thursday said that their lithium-ion battery packs can overheat, posing a fire hazard. (Credit: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)

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About the author

Josh Popichak

Josh Popichak is the owner, publisher and editor of Saucon Source. A Lehigh Valley native, he's covered local news since 2005 and previously worked for Berks-Mont News and AOL/Patch. Contact him at josh@sauconsource.com.

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