Ventura firefighters extinguish garage fire caused by malfunctioning battery charger

VENTURA, Calif. - Ventura City firefighters extinguished a garage fire that was started by a toy car battery charger Friday afternoon.

Around 1 p.m., crews responded to a home on the 300 Block of La Salle Ave. The residents, who were home at the time, said they smelled smoke and quickly evacuated the building.

One of the residents spotted the smoke and flames coming from their two-car garage and used a garden hose to knock down the main body of the fire.

When firefighters arrived, they extinguished the rest of the fire and began searching for remaining hot spots using a thermal camera.

Crews determined the fire initially started on a workbench where the resident was charging batteries for an RC 'remote controlled' electric miniature model car.

Fortunately, the spreading flames were contained to the back wall of the garage. No injuries were reported.

The Ventura Fire Department said there have been numerous fires caused by battery chargers in the last few years.

Crews would like to remind residents not to leave charging batteries unattended. The lowest common denominators for such fires are underequipped charging strips or inadequate transformers that generate significant heat production during charging. Charging locations for battery-operated tools and equipment should be placed in a clear area with no combustible materials nearby and be monitored for any malfunction.