SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) — An aftermarket charger may be to blame for a Saturday evening fire inside a San Francisco home after a scooter went up in flames, said the San Francisco Fire Department.
An aftermarket product is a replacement item not made by the original manufacturer. Fire officials say there have been multiple reports nationwide of similar fire incidents tied to the items.
SFFD said crews responded to the blaze at 5:55 p.m. on the 1100 block of Alabama Street. Officials say the homeowner was alone and charging the scooter when “it ignited on its own.”
The man tried to fight the fire himself and ended up taking the scooter to the sidewalk “which helped,” said SFFD. He was treated for smoke inhalation, and there was minor damage to the residence.
“Have an exit plan available for homeowners and their families to have two ways out of their home,” advises Lt. Mariano Elias of SFFD.
The fire was extinguished in less than an hour.