A charging hoverboard is believed to be the source of a recent apartment fire on Stratton Road.

According to a release issued by the Jaffrey Fire Department, on March 28, at about 10:23 a.m., crews responded to a first-alarm fire on Stratton Road, after reports of smoke coming out of a second-floor apartment and fire alarms sounding. The Fire Department was on scene within three minutes of being dispatched, and firefighters entered the building through the front stairway.

On the second floor, crews found black smoke and an active fire on the floor in the kitchen. The fire was quickly extinguished and the apartment was ventilated.

No one who lived in the apartment was home at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries reported. The cause of the fire is believed to be a hoverboard that was charging in the kitchen. Hoverboards are two-wheeled electric scooters that uses body balance rather than a handle for steering.

According to the Fire Department, while the fire was not large, the malfunctioning batteries caused a great deal of black smoke, resulting in extensive smoke damage to the second-floor unit, despite no structural damage.

The Jaffrey Fire Department advised residents to take precautions when charging lithium ion or other types of rechargeable batteries, including only using the charger supplied with the device, charging devices only when somemone  is present and not leaving them unattended, particularly overnight. People should also keep the items away from flammable or combustible items both while they’re charging and when not in use.

It is also advised to have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every level of a home, outside sleeping areas and within each bedroom of a home.

Jaffrey Fire Department was assisted on the scene by the Peterborough Fire and Rescue Department, the Rindge Fire Department, the Dublin Fire Department, the Jaffrey-Rindge Memorial Ambulance, the Jaffrey Police Department and the Jaffrey Department of Public Works.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.