MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas – A toy battery used in a child’s ride-on vehicle was what officials with the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office say was the source of a garage fire in Magnolia.
Officials said the fire broke out early Tuesday in the Pinehurst area.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and stopped it from spreading into the home.
“I ran, and got my daughter out,” said Jennifer Hulon.
Hulon told KPRC 2′s Rilwan Balogun she recalled preparing to go to bed when she heard a noise, but couldn’t figure out where it was coming from.
“Then I heard it again like another noise like somebody was trying to get into the garage so I woke up,” she said. “We walked to the garage before I could get there, I smelled it. I could smell smoke. I said, ‘There’s a fire.’”
After the fire, the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s office determined a car battery used in children’s toy vehicles, such as Power Wheels, was the cause.
In a statement to KPRC 2, the Fire Marshal’s office said:
“The homeowner had purchased off-brand replacement batteries from two different overseas manufacturers over the past couple of years and that may have been a contributing factor to the failure.”
Jason Herrman, Magnolia Fire Chief, told Balogun had they been asleep, “it could have been a very different circumstance.”
And it wasn’t the first time they ran into a situation like this.
“Our last run-in was tied to some batteries that weren’t on the charger,” Herrman said. “They weren’t on the device; they were simply being stored in the homeowner’s garage.”
For Hulon, she’s calling it a wake up call for her and others.
“I’m starting to unplug stuff,” she said. “I’m going to start, I guess, we’re not going to charge any batteries when we’re sleeping or not home, especially the lithium ones.”
Tips on battery safety:
- Follow manufacturers instructions
- Only use the battery designed for the device.
- Do not charge batteries in areas below 32 degrees or higher than 105 degrees.