WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WPTV) – A lithium-ion battery in a vape pen started a fire at a Florida home on Monday, officials said.
Marc Theaman, who is renting the home with his family, said it was around noon when he heard a loud noise coming from the backyard.
“And I could smell the smoke, and I could see the flames from the backyard had made their way into the dining room,” he said.
The home’s owner, Kayla Ogilbee, said firefighters told her a vape pen’s lithium-ion batteries caused the fire.
“Just such a small device could cause this type of damage is unbelievable and scary,” she said.
Thankfully, no one was hurt – and the Theaman’s family dog Borris also made it out safely, though his fur is discolored from smoke.
“This is our white dog, that is now very dark and black,” Theaman said.
Theaman said the vape pen is a prescription to aid in the effects of his wife’s breast cancer treatment.
“Follow the doctor’s instructions, and this is what happens,” he said.
But the family will be saying goodbye to vape pens after the fire.
Both the renters and the homeowner will have a lot to replace and repair, but they’re thankful to be alive.
“I’m just grateful that everyone made it out OK. It turned real when you actually see what happened and how bad it could’ve gotten,” Ogilbee said.
Ogilbee does not have homeowner’s insurance, so her family started a GoFundMe page to raise money for the repairs.
“Due to the rising cost of insurance, her homeowner’s policy lapsed while she was searching for an economical replacement. Her renters also did not have insurance,” the page reads.
The GoFundMe page says Ogilbee plans to split the money raised with the Theamans.
Copyright 2025 WPTV via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
This article was originally published by a www.westernmassnews.com . Read the Original article here. .