An e-scooter is being blamed for a house fire in a small Maryland town that displaced 12 people and caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.
Fire officials responded Thursday to the fire in Derwood, Maryland – about a 40-minute drive north of Washington, D.C.
Firefighters encountered “heavy fire” conditions from an occupied middle of the row townhouse, Pete Piringer, a spokesman for the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service said.
Residents at the home where the fire started and residents next door were alerted by smoke alarms and exited their homes without injuries, Piringer said.
CREWS BATTLE INDIANA RECYCLING PLANT FIRE FOR SECOND DAY
There were 12 people in all displaced, including seven adults and five children. At least 65 firefighters were on scene to battle the flames.
A preliminary investigation into the origin of the fire determined that a charging e-scooter in the home’s basement ignited nearby combustibles. Total damages were estimated at around $650,000.
Lithium-ion batteries E-scooters have been blamed for a spate of fires in recent months. In January, an e-scooter was blamed for a fire inside a New York City home housing a daycare and dental lab that injured 18 children.
In New York City alone this year, there have been five fire-related deaths where officials have said the cause of the blaze was an e-bike, out of nearly 60 total e-bike-related fires in 2023. Last year, there were six e-bike-related fatalities in the city.
The Associated Press and Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
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