Rad Power Bikes’ retail store in Huntington Beach, California, caught fire January 18. The store was closed at the time, and nobody was injured.
Rad confirmed that there was “a thermal incident” in their store but said the cause of the fire has not been confirmed. Huntington Beach Fire Department also has not released additional information, telling Bicycle Retailer and Industry News that the incident is currently under investigation.
A video from OC Street Live shows what appears to be two bikes on the curb near the responding fire trucks. There’s no confirmation at this time that a Rad Power battery was the cause, though the company has been under close scrutiny in recent months due to fire risks from their batteries. The Consumer Protection Safety Commission issued a safety warning in November for two models of the company’s batteries after receiving 31 reports of fires. The Minnesota Star Tribune published a story in December about a former St. Paul city councilmember whose house was destroyed after he says he saw his unplugged Rad battery in flames in his basement. The CPSC in their warning specifically noted that fires could occur even when the batteries are not charging and are not in use…