Hoverboard likely caused fire that killed Pennsylvania girl

(Image credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

last updated 13 March 2017

Fire officials in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, are blaming a fire that killed one girl and left two others in critical condition on a rechargeable hoverboard.

On Friday night, the family heard "sizzling and cracking" coming from the hoverboard and the outlet it was plugged into, Fire Chief Brian Enterline told PennLive. Five people were rushed to the hospital, and the 4-year-old girl died on Saturday. The girl's father and a teenager were treated and released for smoke inhalation, while two other girls remain hospitalized.

Enterline said the fire was accidental, and one of several tragedies to hit his department that night — several firefighters were attending the funeral of a former colleague who died of cancer when they received the call for the fire. Lt. Dennis DeVoe left the funeral to respond, and his car was struck by a stolen vehicle driven by a 19-year-old woman under the influence of a controlled substance, the Harrisburg Police Department said. DeVoe is in critical condition, and the woman was arrested after she went to the hospital for treatment.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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