A Christmas gift for a teenager became the source of a house fire in Oregon. Six people had to flee after an e-bike battery caught fire inside their home.
The Nov. 5 blaze in Troutdale, near Portland, left no one hurt, according to the NBC News report. Footage aired on Nov. 9 shows how little time the people inside had to escape.
Homeowner Kari Ann Peniche told KPTV that the fire destroyed her home. Her family shared the house with another couple, who also had to find somewhere else to live.
The household lost nearly everything, and one resident’s cat, Pax, died in the fire. Peniche said the bike’s manual called for indoor charging and storage.
Little Time Left
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In the footage aired by NBC, a voice warns people to get away as the battery smokes. Fire then spreads across the room, while later scenes show flames pouring from both floors of the two-story house.
Gresham Fire Marshal Shawn Durham told NBC that only about 30 seconds passed between the first smell and the first pop. By the time firefighters reached the home, heavy flames were already coming from it, he told KATU.
With no fire hydrants in the area, crews needed help from Corbett Fire and its water tenders. Durham explained that when one battery cell fails and burns, nearby cells can quickly follow.
A Christmas Gift
Peniche told KPTV she had bought the e-bike for her 15-year-old son. In that interview, she described the battery’s state when the fire began.
NBC reported that Durham said it had been charging for several hours. Peniche said it was not charging when it caught fire and was just sitting there.
Kelli Gasaway, who lived in the home with her partner, told KPTV that Peniche came to get them out. “In my mind it was equivalent to someone launching a hand grenade into your front room,” Gasaway said.
Beyond the Bike
Oregon’s battery-fire figures cover far more than e-bikes. The Oregon State Fire Marshal recorded 649 fires involving lithium-ion batteries between 2020 and 2025, with incidents rising an average of 19% each year.
Those batteries also power phones, laptops, tools, and toys. In 2025 alone, Oregon fire agencies responded to 161 battery-related fires, more than twice the number in 2020.
In its October safety guidance, the state fire marshal urged people to use the charger supplied with a device or one approved by its maker. Devices should charge on a hard, flat surface, away from beds, couches, and pillows where heat can build up.
For larger items, including e-bikes, scooters, and power tools, the agency recommends charging outside and away from exits. It also advises people to stop using any device that swells, smokes, feels very hot, or gives off a strange smell.