Are Hoverboards Safe? 2 Deaths Reported In Fire Linked To Exploding Hoverboard

A 10-year-old child died from a fire in Pennsylvania that authorities believe was caused due to an exploding hoverboard, a coroner said Thursday. This is the second death this month blamed on the two-wheeled, battery-powered scooter.

If the deaths are proved to be linked to the hoverboards, this would also be the first such incident in the United State, the Associated Press reported.

On Thursday, the county coroner said Savannah Dominick died at a hospital from severe burns, just days after another child, 3-year-old Ashanti Hughes, died Saturday. Hughes received burn injuries after fire broke out March 10 in the living room of a row house in Harrisburg, the state capital.

An investigation is underway into the cause of the fire, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said it was working with the fire department to confirm the cause. The commission was also trying to find if the make and model of the hoverboard, involved in both the cases, was the same as the one of the hundreds of thousands the agency has recalled due to fire hazards.

As a safety guideline, the commission's acting chairman Ann Marie Buerkle warned people who own hoverboards not to charge them overnight or in unattended areas. It has also been urged that people maintain smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.

The agency has investigated more than 60 hoverboard-related fires, and recalls were announced last summer for 10 companies after at least 18 injuries had been reported. Safety concerns also forced authorities to ban the toy in some airlines, railroads and college campuses.

In 2015, retail giant Amazon removed brands of hoverboards from the site after more and more reports surfaced of the "self-balancing scooters" catching fire.

The same year, the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) issued a statement, saying: "Buyers should look for indications of acceptance by recognized testing organizations, the information of which may appear on the item’s packaging. Consumers should also consider purchasing the items from reputable online and local stores that offer warranties."