Fire Officials: Fire Sparked By Hoverboard Kills Dogs In Santa Rosa Home

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) - Officials say a hoverboard sparked a house fire in Santa Rosa that killed two dogs.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports that the fire broke out Tuesday in a girl's bedroom where the hoverboard was being charged.

Santa Rosa Fire Battalion Chief Mark Basque estimates the blaze caused $200,000 to $250,000 in damage.

The home was unoccupied except for the two dogs, a labradoodle and a Boston terrier, who died of apparent smoke inhalation.

The two-wheeled, self-balancing, battery-powered devices have drawn criticism in recent months, as reports have come out across the country of them bursting into flames. This is the first reported instance of a hoverboard-caused fire in Sonoma County.