7 displaced in Southeast DC apartment fire blamed on hoverboard

A hoverboard is to blame for an apartment building fire that displaced a family and their two pet cats in Southeast D.C. Wednesday afternoon.

The fire happened after 3 p.m. on the 700 Block of 31st Street.



Some 40 firefighters extinguished the blaze in about 10 minutes and contained it to a single apartment in the two-story building.

Vito Maggiolo, of D.C. Fire and EMS, told WTOP that the blaze began after a hoverboard caught fire while it was charging.

Members of a family with five children have been displaced but no one was injured. Red Cross officials are providing services to the family, Maggiolo said.

Firefighters rescued the family’s two cats from the burning apartment and brought them safely into the hands of their owners. The cats were also unharmed.

Below is a map of where the fire took place.

Terik King

Terik King is an Associate Producer for WTOP. Before joining WTOP in 2022 he held roles producing podcasts, unscripted television and content for MTV, the NFL and independent documentary production companies.

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