A fire broke out yesterday in Magnolia, Texas inside the family's attached garage. Amidst the smell of smoke and crackling sounds, Jennifer Hulon, the resident, quickly acted to ensure the safety of her family, "I ran, and got my daughter out," she said, according to KPRC2.
The Montgomery County Fire Marshal's Office has traced the origin back to a toy car battery. "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," the Fire Marshal's Office stated to KPRC 2.
Fire Chief Jason Herrman told KPRC 2 that had the family been asleep, "it could have been a very different circumstance."
This isn't a singular event. Incidents like the one in Magnolia are echoing nationwide, with a disturbing uptick particularly noted in densely populated areas like New York City, as referenced by an informative piece by TS2 Space.
Tips include only using the battery designed for the specific device, not charging batteries in extreme temperatures, and ensuring to always follow manufacturer instructions, the Fire Marshal’s Office reiterated.
