Children’s book blamed for battery fire, publishers dispute the findings
By Jack Aylmer (Energy Correspondent), Jack Henry (Video Editor)
A North Carolina family faced a potentially life-threatening situation this week when a fire broke out in the back seat of their minivan, resulting in thousands of dollars in damages. A children’s book, equipped with electronic components designed to produce sounds when the reader presses a button, allegedly caused the fire.
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Children’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on Associated Press NewsChildren’s book ignites car seat in North Carolina family’s minivan minutes after parking
Click to see story on USA TodayBattery inside children’s book sparks car fire in North Carolina: officials
Click to see story on abc 6 PhiladelphiaBattery inside children’s book sparks car fire: North Carolina officials
Click to see story on abc 13 HoustonChildren’s book battery sparks fire, burns child safety seat inside family’s van in North Carolina
Click to see story on abc11 RaleighBattery inside children’s book sparks car fire in North Carolina: officials
Click to see story on abc 7 NewsBattery inside children’s book sparks car fire: North Carolina officials
Click to see story on abc30 NewsChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on Koco News5Children’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on NBC San DiegoChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on AutoblogChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KCRA 3Battery inside children’s book sparks car fire: North Carolina officials
Click to see story on abc 7 ChicagoBattery inside children’s book sparks car fire: North Carolina officials
Click to see story on abc 7 LABattery inside children’s book sparks car fire: North Carolina officials
Click to see story on abc 7 NYChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WCVBChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WMURChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WLKYChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WESHChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KETVChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WDSUChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KOB 4Book causes car seat to go up in flames in North Carolina
Click to see story on WYFFChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WTAEChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KCCIChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KMBCChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WISNChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WBAL-TVChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WPTZChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WMTWChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WVTMChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WAPTFamily terrified after children’s book starts fire under car seat
Click to see story on WGN 9Family terrified after children’s book starts fire under car seat
Click to see story on PIX 11Children’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KOATSEE THE DAMAGE: Children’s book blamed for car fire
Click to see story on Fox8Family terrified after children’s book starts fire under car seat
Click to see story on WCBDChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WPBFChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WGALChildren’s book about ‘Potty Time’ sparks vehicle fire in North Carolina, fire officials say
Click to see story on WXIIFamily terrified after children’s book starts fire under car seat
Click to see story on KFOR-TVChildren’s book causes fire under child’s car seat in North Carolina
Click to see story on Fox8Children’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KSBWChildren’s book causes fire under child’s car seat
Click to see story on WSPABattery in child’s potty training book sparks fire inside NC family’s car, fire officials say
Click to see story on CBS 17Children’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WJCLFamily terrified after children’s book starts fire under car seat
Click to see story on WMBDChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KHBSFamily terrified after children’s book starts fire under car seat
Click to see story on WNCTButton battery inside children’s book causes car seat fire
Click to see story on Scripps NewsChildren’s book causes fire inside of vehicle
Click to see story on WSAVChildren’s book causes fire under child’s car seat
Click to see story on Queen City NewsChildren’s book sparks vehicle fire in Burke County, officials say
Click to see story on WCNCFamily terrified after children’s book starts fire under car seat
Click to see story on PHL17Children’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say – KION546
Click to see story on KIONRight
Untracked Bias
Children’s Book Causes Car Seat To Catch Fire – WCCB Charlotte’s CW
Click to see story on WCCB CharlotteChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on MOR-TVAllen depth wears down State Fair in romp – The Iola Register
Click to see story on Iola RegisterChildren’s book sparks fire in North Carolina family’s van
Click to see story on livenowfox.comFortunately, no one was injured in the incident, and the family was able to extinguish the fire themselves with a hose. Upon investigation, local fire officials determined that the flames were started by a lithium-ion battery inside the book, which they believe overheated and ignited.
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“A child’s cars seat caught fire shortly after they had exited the vehicle to go inside,” Chief Bobby Craig from the George Hildebran Fire and Rescue Department, said. “It was determined that a ‘Button Battery’ inside a children’s book left inside the car underneath the seat caused the fire.”
However, the book’s publisher, Cottage Door Press, disputed the conclusion. The company maintained that its books only use alkaline batteries, not lithium-ion batteries, which contradicts the firefighter’s conclusion. As a result, the publisher has declined to compensate the family for the damages incurred.
“Our electronic children’s books, which have sold millions of units without incident, use alkaline batteries, not lithium-ion batteries,” Cottage Door Press in a statement. “We are relieved that no one was injured and are working closely with local officials and experts to determine the cause of this incident.”
[JACK AYLMER]
A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING INCIDENT IN THIS FAMILY MINIVAN-
THE SCENE OF A FIRE WHICH CAUSED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGES.
ALL BECAUSE OF A CHILDREN’S BOOK.
WHEN A NORTH CAROLINA MOTHER BECAME AWARE OF A FIRE BURNING IN THE BACK SEAT OF HER VEHICLE THIS WEEK-
HER FAMILY SPRANG INTO ACTION TO EXTINGUISH IT WITH A HOSE.
FORTUNATELY NOBODY WAS INJURED-
BUT AS THE SMOKE CLEARED, THE CAUSE OF THE BLAZE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A CHILD’S BOOK THAT CONTAINED ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS WHICH MAKE SOUNDS WHEN A BUTTON IS PRESSED.
LOCAL FIRE OFFICIALS SAY A LITHIUM-ION BATTERY WITHIN THE BOOK OVERHEATED, AND STARTED BURNING.
BUT THE BOOK’S PUBLISHERS ARE NOW SAYING THIS VERSION OF EVENTS JUST ISN’T POSSIBLE-
REFUSING TO PAY THE FAMILY BACK FOR THE DAMAGES INCURRED.
COTTAGE DOOR PRESS ASSERTS THEY ONLY USE ALKALINE BATTERIES IN THEIR BOOKS-
WHICH CONTRADICTS THE CONCLUSION REACHED BY FIREFIGHTERS OF A LITHIUM-ION BATTERY FIRE.
THE PUBLISHER GOING ON TO SAY THEY’VE SOLD MILLIONS OF BOOKS WITHOUT A SINGLE INCIDENT LIKE THIS ONE BEFORE-
AND THAT THEY ARE NOW WORKING CLOSELY WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS AND EXPERTS TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE.
JACK AYLMER – STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.
Media Landscape
See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below. Learn more about this dataBias Distribution
Left
Children’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on Associated Press NewsChildren’s book ignites car seat in North Carolina family’s minivan minutes after parking
Click to see story on USA TodayBattery inside children’s book sparks car fire in North Carolina: officials
Click to see story on abc 6 PhiladelphiaBattery inside children’s book sparks car fire: North Carolina officials
Click to see story on abc 13 HoustonChildren’s book battery sparks fire, burns child safety seat inside family’s van in North Carolina
Click to see story on abc11 RaleighBattery inside children’s book sparks car fire in North Carolina: officials
Click to see story on abc 7 NewsBattery inside children’s book sparks car fire: North Carolina officials
Click to see story on abc30 NewsChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on Koco News5Children’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on NBC San DiegoChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on AutoblogChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KCRA 3Battery inside children’s book sparks car fire: North Carolina officials
Click to see story on abc 7 ChicagoBattery inside children’s book sparks car fire: North Carolina officials
Click to see story on abc 7 LABattery inside children’s book sparks car fire: North Carolina officials
Click to see story on abc 7 NYChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WCVBChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WMURChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WLKYChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WESHChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KETVChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WDSUChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KOB 4Book causes car seat to go up in flames in North Carolina
Click to see story on WYFFChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WTAEChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KCCIChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KMBCChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WISNChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WBAL-TVChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WPTZChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WMTWChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WVTMChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WAPTFamily terrified after children’s book starts fire under car seat
Click to see story on WGN 9Family terrified after children’s book starts fire under car seat
Click to see story on PIX 11Children’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KOATSEE THE DAMAGE: Children’s book blamed for car fire
Click to see story on Fox8Family terrified after children’s book starts fire under car seat
Click to see story on WCBDChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WPBFChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WGALChildren’s book about ‘Potty Time’ sparks vehicle fire in North Carolina, fire officials say
Click to see story on WXIIFamily terrified after children’s book starts fire under car seat
Click to see story on KFOR-TVChildren’s book causes fire under child’s car seat in North Carolina
Click to see story on Fox8Children’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KSBWChildren’s book causes fire under child’s car seat
Click to see story on WSPABattery in child’s potty training book sparks fire inside NC family’s car, fire officials say
Click to see story on CBS 17Children’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on WJCLFamily terrified after children’s book starts fire under car seat
Click to see story on WMBDChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on KHBSFamily terrified after children’s book starts fire under car seat
Click to see story on WNCTButton battery inside children’s book causes car seat fire
Click to see story on Scripps NewsChildren’s book causes fire inside of vehicle
Click to see story on WSAVChildren’s book causes fire under child’s car seat
Click to see story on Queen City NewsChildren’s book sparks vehicle fire in Burke County, officials say
Click to see story on WCNCFamily terrified after children’s book starts fire under car seat
Click to see story on PHL17Children’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say – KION546
Click to see story on KIONRight
Untracked Bias
Children’s Book Causes Car Seat To Catch Fire – WCCB Charlotte’s CW
Click to see story on WCCB CharlotteChildren’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say
Click to see story on MOR-TVAllen depth wears down State Fair in romp – The Iola Register
Click to see story on Iola RegisterChildren’s book sparks fire in North Carolina family’s van
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