Hoverboards may pose fire risk, buyers warned

Dubai: With increasing reports of self-balancing scooters known as hoverboards catching fire around the world, some vendors are warning shoppers that the “hottest gift” this Christmas poses serious fire risk.

Despite the warnings by retailers in Dubai, hoverboards are flying off the shelves as children place the trendiest toys at the top of their Santa wish lists. “One customer called me and told me that his hoverboard burned,” said a Dubai seller of the China-made electric scooter devices on Tuesday. “I told him that he charged his board too long.”

Shaped like a skateboard with two large wheels on the ends, the popular toys are powered by an electric motor fed by lithium batteries. Riders lean to steer and control the gadgets at speeds of more than 15km/h.

Vendors at Dragonmart told Gulf News on Tuesday that it is the lithium batteries that are the culprit behind a wave of explosion and fire reports in the United Kingdom and United States. In the rush to meet mushrooming demand, media reports attribute Asian hoverboard manufacturers as producing inferior devices with cheap batteries that, when overheated, are dangerous.

One shop salesman warned parents to carefully watch over the hoverboards during charging which should never be carried out for more than two hours a time to prevent overheating.

“Do not overcharge, it can be dangerous. If you charge more than two hours, it can get too hot and explode or catch fire,” said the salesman, as half-a-dozen shoppers waited in line to query him about the boards which sell for prices varying from Dh400-Dh5,000 depending on quality.

On a two-hour charge, hoverboards can run for up to four hours on average.

Social media is now flooded daily with videos of hoverboards catching fire and exploding and news stories recounting house fires in Europe and North America attributed to overcharging the devices.

Last month, a hoverboard was blamed by a mother for destroying her home by fire in Lafitte, Louisiana.

American authorities are investigating as many as 11 incidents of fire connected to hoverboards in as many states.

Fire officials in the UK attributed three major house fires in October to defective hoverboards.

In early December, UK customs seized 15,000 of the hoverboards at ports across the country to block the devices which do not meet UK/European safety standards.

A Dubai Civil Defence spokesperson told Gulf News on Thursday that there have been no reports of fire-related damage from a hoverboard to date.

However, Dubai Police have warned hoverboard owners to stay off roads, sidewalks and car parks while riding their devices or they will be fined Dh200 as pedestrians who are not abiding local traffic laws.

Abu Dhabi Police have issued a similar advisory after a six-year-old Emirati identified as S.A., was struck and killed by a moving car on October 12 while riding his hoverboard.

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Travellers who buy hoverboards for gifts before flying back home won’t be able to take the devices with them after a slew of airlines have banned them.

Emirates first announced it would no longer accept the devices as on-board luggage on November 30.

“With the upcoming holiday season, we expect many passengers to be carrying gifts for their loved ones, including the popular smart balance wheels. We prioritise the safety of our passengers and crew, and regret we will not accept these as part of checked-in baggage or as hand luggage,” said Mohammad Mattar, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice-President of Airport Services.

On December 10, Delta, United and American Airlines all announced the devices were being placed on their luggage ban list due to safety concerns. They joined other carriers to ban the items such as Virgin America, JetBlue and Hawaiian Airlines.

Not just airlines are distancing themselves from the devices.

At least one online retailer, Amazon, has removed some self-balancing scooters until further notice.