Capital City Fire/Rescue responded to a report Thursday evening of a fire at a residence in the Mendenhall Valley. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

Capital City Fire/Rescue responded to a report Thursday evening of a fire at a residence in the Mendenhall Valley. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

Electrical issue starts small residential fire

A fire involving a battery-powered scooter broke out and was quickly extinguished.

Capital City Fire/Rescue responded to a call Thursday evening of a fire in a residential structure in the Mendenhall Valley.

The fire was extinguished without structural damage, according to a CCFR social media post, and one occupant was treated for minor smoke inhalation on-scene.

The cause of the fire involves a battery-powered scooter, said fire marshal Dan Jager in a phone interview.

[Montana Creek Bridge closed to all vehicles due to damage]

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

“It was definitely the scooter that started the fire,” Jager said. “As far as, was it a charger malfunction or the product, we’re not sure.”

The call came in at 7:20 p.m. that a fire had broken out at a residence on the 4100 block of Taku Boulevard, according to the social media post. CCFR personnel arriving on scene found that occupants had used a neighbor’s fire extinguisher to suppress the fire for long enough for CCFR personnel to completely eliminate it.

Jager said the department is reaching out to the manufacturer to see where the failure point was.

Non-manufacturer chargers can sometimes cause electrical issues, leading to fires, Jager said.

“Sometimes people get chargers that aren’t from the manufacturer. They plug it in and notice, hey, this charger is getting really hot,” Jager said. “That’s where you can have some problems. If it’s allowing it to charge too fast, it could be damaging the battery.”

The simplest way to avoid this is to purchase chargers from the manufacturer of the device that needs to be charged rather than getting a third-party charger, Jager said.

The investigation is ongoing, Jager said.

• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.

More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast through the week of March 23

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Wednesday, March 26, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Illustration by Stephanie Harold)
Woven Peoples and Place: Seals, science and sustenance

Xunaa (Hoonah) necropsy involves hunters and students

Natural gas processing equipment is seen at Furie Operating Alaska’s central processing facility in Nikiski, Alaska, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Glenfarne takes majority stake of Alaska LNG Project, will lead development

The Alaska Gasline Development Corporation announced Thursday they had reached an agreement with the New York-based company.

Tom Dawson touches a 57-millimeter Bofors gun during a tour of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
US Coast Guard Cutter Munro stops in Juneau as it begins its patrol

Crew conducts community outreach and details its mission in Alaska.

ConocoPhillips oil pipelines on the North Slope of Alaska on March 23, 2023. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times)
Oil and gas execs denounce Trump’s ‘chaos’ and ‘uncertainty’ in first survey during his second term

Issues raised by southcentral U.S. operators have similarities, differences to Alaska’s, lawmakers say.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Tuesday, March 25, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Monday, March 24, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Most Read