Toy car bursts into flames, burns down garage

Amother is sending a dire warning to parents after her son’s ride-on toy car exploded and burnt down their garage. Sarah Jennings, 26, was mowing the lawn at their Dargaville home with her 2-year-old son on Wednesday when she heard her neighbour screaming that her house was on fire. Fire and Emergency NewZealand (FENZ) later said the fire was most likely caused by a toy car battery left charging in her garage.

But Jennings said the toy car wasn’t being charged when it exploded because the charger was sitting in her house. Minutes before the fire started, she had stored her son’s toy car away after he rode it around a bit. Jennings said she wanted parents to be aware of the dangers of toys that were powered by lithium batteries. If it wasn’t for her neighbour sounding the alarm, more homeswould have burnt down, she said.