Palm Beach

Boca Raton Mom Says Daughter's Hoverboard ‘Burst Into Flames'

A Boca Raton mother says that a nine-day old hoverboard she purchased for her daughter overheated and exploded Saturday night.

Pamela Levine says her 11-year old daughter Sophie just missed getting injured by the hoverboard that "crackled, popped, burst into flames," NBC affiliate WPTV reported.

"She felt it get hot, she jumped off, and it was in flames," she told WPTV.

Levine quickly dumped water on the flames, and says the fire was out before firefighters arrived.

The mother of three paid $300 for the hoverboard on Amazon.com. But on Wednesday, was forced to shell out more money to higher a crew to deodorize her home and repair the fire damage in her kitchen.

One of the crew members working on Levine's home says he bought a similar hoverboard for his grandson.

"It's the hottest thing out there. All the kids want it. I've got three grandkids that want it," David Evanosky says.

After seeing what happened at Levine's house, he says he plans on returning the toy.

"I'm going to return it. There's no way I'm going to let my grandson on that thing," Evanosky said, adding that he was planning on buying two others.

Pamela says she will not be replacing the hoverboard.

"We're never getting another one. We're done. Done," she told WPTV.

According to Michael Lasalle, the assistant chief of Boca Raton Fire Rescue, parents need to make sure a toy is UL approved before buying it for their kids. UL is global leader in testing and inspecting products.

"Some of the units are not safe. Be careful what you purchase," he says.
 

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