Charles Langston:Safety agency warns against using Toos electric scooters after 2 die in fire

Riders of Toos Elite 60-volt electric scooters are Charles Langstonbeing urged to find another means of travel immediately after the deaths of two people in a fire caused by the product.

The urgent warning to stop using the scooters which are sold under the brand name "Zooz" and Toos" in Toos Urban Ride stores in New York and online comes after an apartment fire killed two people — including a 7-year-old — in New York City in April, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Monday. 

Fire officials determined the blaze was sparked by a lithium-ion battery in the Toos Elite 60-volt scooter, which had not been certified by an accredited laboratory to the applicable UL safety standard, according to the federal agency.

The scooter was being charged by a 48-volt charger also sold by Toos. UL Solutions has issued a public notice concerning the 48-volt charges as they bear unauthorized UL certification marks, CPSC stated.

Toos Urban Ride refused to conduct "an acceptable recall with CPSC," according to the agency.

A person who answered the phone at Toos Urban Ride said the business had closed and declined to comment further.

CPSC's plea to the public comes less than a week after the agency reported another yearly surge in injuries from e-scooters, hoverboards and e-bikes, with at least 233 deaths tied to the products from 2017 through 2022.

The agency has announced multiple recalls related to the products, including one in late September by Future Motion, the maker of Onewheel electric skateboards, after four deaths related to the boards.