Hoverboard birthday gift 'destroys' Louisiana home
The $300 birthday present 'could have killed' the boy it was bought for
![There have now been at least several instances of hoverboards catching fire or exploding in the UK and US](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2015/12/01/11/hoverboard-rex.jpeg)
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Louise Thomas
Editor
A family home was badly damaged when a so-called 'hoverboard' bought as a gift suddenly exploded.
The home in Louisiana was significantly burnt when the electric toy caught fire while charging - and its young owner could have been killed.
![The charred remains of the hoverboard bought for about $300](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2015/12/01/10/hoverboard-YouTube.jpeg)
Now Jessica Horne, the mother of the boy for whom the toy was a present, has set up a funding page to try to repair the damage.
Her plea for help has raised $2,605 (£1,726) so far.
Jessica Horne said her son was "thrilled" when she presented him with a self-balancing scooter bought from Amazon.
"When it ran out of charge, he brought it inside and put it on the charger.
"As I walked past his room, I saw it began to shoot sparks and within seconds it was in flames; within minutes the entire room was in flames," she said on her funding page.
![The toy, which was purchased through Amazon, reportedly caught fire while charging](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2015/12/01/10/hoverboard-3-YouTube.jpeg)
"Christmas is just around the corner. We lost our home to this horrific incident."
She has set a target amount on GoFundMe.org of $8,000 to try to repair the damage after discovering that their rented home was not insured.
Her son, 12-year-old Hayden, said in interview with WGNO that he could not believe it when his $300 birthday present caught flames.
A shipping order shows the board came from a company called Fit Turbo through Amazon, WGNO reported.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said it was the first hoverboard incident related to fire. But a man in Florida recently filmed his hoverboard in flames.
Timothy Cade, who also bought his toy through Amazon, told WKRG that other people should be warned.
"If that was a kid to have that happen - or imagine if that was in your house?" he said.
Another hoverboard burned down a house in Kent this month.
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