17-05-2025
Drone left charging causes Mountain View vehicle blaze
(KRON) — The Mountain View Fire Department says a drone left charging on the passenger seat of a pickup truck led to a Friday afternoon blaze that injured one man and caused thousands of dollars in damage.
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MVFD said its crews responded to the incident in the 1400 block of Wildrose Way at 1:37 p.m. mere minutes after being alerted then quickly extinguished the interior car fire.
Paramedics said one man was treated for minor burns at the scene but declined further care at a local hospital.
Mountain View Fire confirmed the fire did not spread to nearby residences.
'The cause of the fire was determined to be related to the drone's lithium-ion battery charging system,' said MVFD in a news release.
The damage to the vehicle and the drone is estimated at $10,000.
Mountain View Fire is using the incident to remind others to take the following safety precautions when charging lithium-ion batteries:
• Purchase and use devices that are listed by a qualified testing laboratory.• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions.• Only use the battery that is designed for the device.• Do not use aftermarket or generic batteries or chargers.• Only use the charging cord that came with the device.• Do not continue charging the device or the device's battery after it is fully charged.• Store batteries away from anything that can catch fire.• Do not charge a device overnight.• Do not charge a device near exits.
Fire crews released the scorched vehicle back to the owner before leaving the location.
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