A battery being charged in a Reading apartment malfunctioned Tuesday night and started a fire on the building’s first floor, officials said Wednesday.
The fire at 27 S. 11th St. started at 10 p.m., according to Michael Glore, first deputy chief of the Reading Fire Department.
The lithium ion battery for a one-wheeled motorized transport device was plugged in and charging when the battery failed and caught on fire, Glore said.
Fire crews found the device smoldering and the apartment filled with smoke, as the occupant had used buckets of water to extinguish the flames. He suffered minor burns while doing so and was treated at the scene, Glore said.
All three floors of the building were evacuated while firefighters worked to clear the smoke, but all the occupants were able to return, he said.
Glore said it was the first fire he had responded to in the city that was started by a rechargeable battery.
Source: Berkshire mont