HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — A lithium battery that hissed and threw sparks caused an electric wheelchair to explode in the driveway of a South Florida home.
Alexandra Anaya, of Hollywood, told WPLG that she heard a clicking sound coming from the battery pack of the electric wheelchair, which she had bought at a thrift store.
She moved it outside of her home after charging it in the hallway of her residence. She added that she was charging the chair with a non-manufacturer charger.
“It was the clicking, that’s what separated me from going back to bed and investigating,” Anaya told WTVJ.
QUICK THINKING - An electric wheelchair exploded into flames right outside a Hollywood home, but that homeowner’s quick thinking is being praised by first responders. https://t.co/qsTt8iW5HD
— WPLG Local 10 News (@WPLGLocal10) April 21, 2026
Placing her hand on the battery, Anaya noticed that it was hot, so she went online to investigate the possible problem, according to the television station.
“It said ‘imminent danger, put it on cement or somewhere where other things won’t catch on fire,’” Anaya told WTVJ.
She took the wheelchair outside, and just in time.
It began to hiss, and Anaya sprinted away before the chair exploded and caught fire, WPLG reported. The incident was recorded on her surveillance camera.
“Eight seconds later it exploded into a ball of fire,” Anaya told WTVJ. “I couldn’t believe it, I really couldn’t believe it exploded in that manner and with that amount of force, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
NEW: One homeowner’s gut feeling saved her family from TRAGEDY after hearing a clicking sound from a used wheelchair battery.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 21, 2026
She dragged the chair outside, and seconds later, it exploded into a massive fireball. pic.twitter.com/rJByEkmAst
Anaya was not injured, although pieces of the wheelchair hit her in the back as she retreated into the residence, where her sister was staying, according to WTVJ.
Officials with Hollywood Fire Rescue said that Anaya’s actions prevented her and her family from suffering from serious injuries, WPLG reported. They confirmed the lithium battery was the cause of the fire.
“Don’t leave this stuff charging when you’re not home,” Anaya told the television station. “Always do it when you’re home and you can keep an eye on it, because stuff explodes. This could’ve happened to anybody.”
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