An electric scooter battery failure sparked a fire and filled the upper floor of a Colchester apartment building with smoke Saturday night, prompting an evacuation and a large fire department response.
The Colchester Fire Department was dispatched to 111 Stuart Avenue at about 9:32 PM after a general fire alarm activated. Soon afterward, emergency dispatchers received several 911 calls reporting an e-scooter on fire inside an apartment.
The call was upgraded to a structure fire, bringing the Colchester Rescue Squad to the scene. Although firefighters initially saw no signs of fire from outside the building, evacuated residents reported heavy smoke on an upper floor and said an e-scooter was burning inside a third-floor apartment.
Firefighters encountered moderate smoke on the third floor and entered the apartment, where they found occupants had largely contained the main fire with portable extinguishers before evacuating.
However, officials said the scooter’s lithium-ion battery had suffered a “significant failure,” causing several additional small fires throughout the apartment.
Firefighters extinguished the remaining flames and checked the apartment and surrounding areas for fire extension. Crews then ventilated the building and monitored conditions before returning it to building management.
One occupant later asked to be evaluated by medical personnel after experiencing coughing and a sore throat following smoke exposure. No other injuries were reported in the release.
The Colchester Fire Department warned that lithium-ion battery fires can spread quickly and generate intense heat, smoke and hazardous gases. Officials urged people to evacuate and call 911 if a battery-powered device begins smoking, overheating, making unusual noises or catches fire.