A Florida woman narrowly avoided a gruesome death after a wheelchair battery exploded outside her home.
Alexandra Anaya had purchased a second-hand electric mobility scooter when she noticed a strange clicking sound coming from the device. Feeling uneasy, she pushed the wheelchair out of her home and doorbell footage caught the harrowing scene that unfolded.
Watch:
NEW: One homeowner’s gut feeling saved her family from TRAGEDY after hearing a clicking sound from a used wheelchair battery.
She dragged the chair outside, and seconds later, it exploded into a massive fireball. pic.twitter.com/rJByEkmAst
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 21, 2026
Video captures her running away from the device as it begins to whistle loudly, shortly before bursting into a massive fireball.
“Shortly before the wheelchair detonated, the woman had been charging it with a non-manufacturer charger, ‘which can overload or overheat a battery,’ according to Hollywood Fire Rescue and Beach Safety,” The Daily Mail reported. “The department recommended moving devices to non-combustible areas if it is still safe, always using the correct charger, checking batteries for excess heat while charging, never leaving charging batteries unattended and calling 911 if there is smoke or ‘signs of thermal runaway.’”
“Thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries is an uncontrollable increase in temperature that leads to the battery exploding and releasing toxic gas, as in the case of the wheelchair,” the outlet added. “Warning signs include the battery swelling, hissing or clicking sounds and a burning smell. Thermal runaway can be caused by manufacturing defects, overcharging or physical damage to the battery, such as punctures or dents.”
Anaya explained that she looked up the clicking noise after touching the battery, which was surprisingly hot.
“It said ‘imminent danger, put it on cement or somewhere where other things won’t catch on fire,’” she said.
X users reacted to the shocking clip:
This is scary considering we load mobility devices on transit buses daily. Its why we dont allow electric scooters on the bus but obviously they overlooked these.
— Furmansmom (@furmansmom) April 21, 2026
That wheelchair battery explosion is a product liability insurance claim against the manufacturer, not a homeowner’s insurance claim, and the family is going to find that out the hard way if they file it wrong. I say this after every lithium battery incident.
— Gary Drucker, CIC (@garydruckercic) April 21, 2026
Don’t use just whatever plug happens to fit to charge batteries.
— ArkyLady (@arkylady76) April 22, 2026
Maaan this is the average Tuesday in Florida.
Glad no one was hurt.
— HiImTiny (@tinyAKAtiny) April 21, 2026
