West Jordan family left homeless after battery-powered toy damages home

WEST JORDAN — A West Jordan family is searching for a new place to live after a fire, sparked by a battery-powered children's toy car, heavily damaged their home and left it uninhabitable until repairs can be made.

Megan Rushton said she was in the basement of her mother's home when she noticed the flames on the side of the house.

"I saw the flames just coming out of the window," Rushton recalled.

Surveillance and cellphone video captured the heartbreaking scene as the fire quickly grew.

The source of the fire was unexpected. According to the family, a rechargeable battery from Rushton's young daughter's electric ride-on toy car caught fire while the toy was parked outside along the side of the house.

Rushton said the battery was not plugged in at the time.

She said she purchased the Moeyuro 800W powered UTV side-by-side electric car with a remote off Amazon for her daughter's first birthday.

"Maybe it got a little wet. I'm not sure, but that's the only thing I can really think of, is something in the wiring," Rushton said.

The fire quickly spread along the side of the house, causing extensive smoke and fire damage inside the home.

"All my daughter's stuff was down here. Her toys are no good," Rushton said while surveying the damage. "Nothing out here is really salvageable."

Fire officials said it's important for people to follow the manufacturing guidelines when storing, charging or using battery-operated toys, as they hear of problems with lithium batteries often. But Rushton's battery was not lithium.

Despite the battery being relatively small, the damage was devastating.

Rushton said she had only recently moved into her mother's house before the fire.

"I'd only been here for a few days and then her house caught on fire," she said. "Due to the smoke damage, it's not livable."

The family is now working to find temporary housing while beginning the long recovery process.

Friends have organized a *fundraiser to help the family.

*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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