Aug. 30--A Southwest Portland family had to escape from their house after a hoverboard started a fire Tuesday afternoon, Portland Fire & Rescue officials said.
The fire at 6036 SW Idaho St. started in a room at the foot of the stairs, Portland fire spokesman Lt. Damon Simmons said. A boy was trapped upstairs, but escaped using a collapsible ladder according to the family's fire escape plan, Simmons said.
The rest of the family got out safely. No one was injured.
A balancing scooter -- commonly known as a hoverboard -- started the fire, investigators said, but they're not yet sure how exactly the fire was caused.
More than a half million hoverboards were recalled in July 2016 after several caught fire or exploded.
Simmons said it was not yet clear whether the hoverboard exploded or caught fire in the home.
The father extinguished the flames before firefighters arrived, so they removed smoked from the home, Simmons said.
Officials continue to investigate the fire.
-- Samantha Matsumoto: 503-294-4001; @SMatsumoto55
(c)2017 The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) Visit The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) at www.oregonian.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
