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Drone explodes in UK home while on charge, starting a fire

An man in Blackburn, England, got a massive surprise when the EHang Ghostdrone 2.0’s battery he put on charge exploded within an hour of being plugged in. The man noticed the power went out in the house and went to investigate, and found the drone on fire in the living room.

What happened?

According to the Lancashire Telegraph, the man was given a drone by his daughter after her phone was no longer compatible with it. He always wanted a drone and put it on charge straight away. Almost an hour into the battery being charged, while in another room in the house, he noticed the power went out and went to investigate what caused it.

He opened the door to the living room, where the battery had been on charge, and could see flames coming from what looked to the drone’s battery. He quickly put the fire out and called the fire department to figure out what to do next.

The insurance company, trading standards, and the Amazon seller who sold the drone have all been contacted with an investigation set to take place soon regarding what caused the battery to explode while charging.

What caused it?

Currently, there is no explanation as to what actually happened with the battery. We can rule out faulty wiring in the house as an electrician was sent to the house to test the power socket, which received the all-clear. It’s possible the battery was previously damaged.

Do you place your batteries in a battery bag when charging? Do you consciously monitor the batteries you charge? Let us know what safety precautions you do or don’t take when charging your batteries in the comments below.

Photo: Lancashire Telegraph

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Avatar for Joshua Spires Joshua Spires

Josh started in the drone community in 2012 with a drone news Twitter account. Over the years Josh has gained mass exposure from his aerial photography work and spends his days writing drone content for DroneDJ as well as pursuing his business.