GERING - An electronic hoverboard is being blamed for a house fire on the 200 block of Kimball Avenue in Gering that displaced a family and killed a cat late Sunday afternoon.

Gering Fire Chief Nathan Flowers told the Star-Herald the hoverboards weren’t plugged in and charging. They continue their investigation into what may have caused the hoverboards to ignite. 

Firefighters from Gering, Scottsbluff and Scotts Bluff Rural, along with the Gering Police Department and Valley Ambulance, responded to the home that was fully engulfed in flames and threatening another structure next door, but firefighters were able to knock it down before reaching other buildings.

The occupants, a woman and her two children, were not home at the time of the fire at 4:18 p.m. The blaze and smoke caused an estimated $150,000 in damage. Firefighter Ministry is assisting the family. Contact 308-631-9674 for details about donating to the family, including details of a clothing drive.