Family said battery in remote-control toy caught fire in home

KATY, Texas (KTRK) -- A local family is thankful they were home when a remote-controlled car battery caught fire as it charged.

"I was scared that the whole house was gonna get on fire," said 7-year-old Marco Cano.

He and his mother, Lilian Rizk, remember the moment in their dining room when they panicked on Sunday.

"I didn't know what to do," Rizk said.

They didn't have a fire extinguisher handy but were able to smother the flames with a table cloth and douse them with water.

Rizk wanted to tell her story so others might be wary of the potential for trouble. Since the incident, she's purchased a pouch which is supposed to contain any battery that might catch fire or explode.

She's thankful no one got hurt and nothing was damaged beyond repair.

"Don't leave home and leave them charging," she said.

In this case, the remote-controlled car the family purchased was manufactured by Traxxas and the battery was a MaxAmps LiPo. Calls and emails to each company so far have not been returned.

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