On Friday, May 16 at 1:34 p.m., a 9-1-1 call was received reporting fire coming from the interior of a pickup truck parked in the 1400 block of Wildrose Way.
Fire units were dispatched at 1:34 p.m. and arrived on the scene at 1:37 p.m. Units arrived to find an active fire coming from the interior of a pickup truck parked near the side of the road. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames with a preconnected fire-attack hose line, preventing the fire from spreading further to a retaining wall and nearby residences.
City of Mountain View firefighter paramedics treated one adult male for minor burns, who declined transport to the hospital. The origin of the fire was determined to be the drone left charging on the passenger seat of the vehicle. The cause of the fire was determined to be related to the drone’s lithium-ion battery charging system. The Mountain View Police Department provided traffic control for 30 minutes while fire units and equipment were on the scene.
The estimated damage to the vehicle and the drone is $10,000. Fire crews released the vehicle to the owner before leaving.
Be sure to adhere to 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.
Media Contact
Robert Maitland, Fire Department PIO
650-903-6825 or robert.maitland@mountainview.gov
