JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A lithium laptop battery exploded and sparked a massive blaze that ravaged a Southside Estates home, leaving a disabled veteran and his family displaced.
The fire broke out on Tuesday at a home on Peach Drive near Beach Boulevard and Southside Boulevard.
“It started in my son’s room due to a laptop where the lithium battery exploded,” Patrick Adams, a disabled Army veteran, said.
The lithium battery was a second-hand battery. Adams said his son purchased the laptop from someone else and had no idea that the battery was second-hand until after investigators determined the origin of the fire.
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Adams and his family were not at home at the time of the fire, but there were seven pets inside. One dog and two cats died. Their dogs, Lady and Peanut Butter, were rescued, and two cats are still missing.
The damage from the fire caused the family to lose everything but the clothes that were on their backs.
“One room is totally gutted and destroyed. The attic is destroyed, and the living room is also damaged due to the ceiling collapsing,” he said.
Since Adams’ property insurance stopped covering the home because it did not have central air conditioning, it was not insured.
“It would have cost $20,000 just to add central air, and that’s money we didn’t have. With me now totally disabled and on social security, it will be hard to come up with the funds to restore the home,” Adams said.
The American Red Cross is assisting the family as Adams and his family search for temporary, pet-friendly housing until they can rebuild and get back on their feet.
If you’d like to donate to their GoFundMe to assist, click here.