OAKLAND — A lithium battery used to power a go-cart exploded during charging Sunday, setting off a fire that primarily damaged the garage area of an East Oakland residence, officials said.
No one was injured in the fire, which ignited about 1 p.m. Sunday in a garage-workshop area of a two-story home at the intersection of 19th avenue and East 21st Street.
The fire, which took firefighters a half-hour to bring under control, gutted the garage and destroyed a small car parked inside, officials said.
Some other parts of the residence sustained smoke and water damage, Fire Department spokesman Michael Hunt said. Firefighters prevented flames from spreading to the upper floor.
No injuries were reported. At least three people living at the home and their pets were displaced, but declined the assistance of the Red Cross, officials said.
Hunt said investigators believe the fire was accidental in nature and that it resulted from the “spontaneous ignition” of a lithium go-cart battery that was being charged.
A damage estimate was not available.
