NEWPORT BEACH – An electric bike caught fire Sunday, shooting battery parts as it burned, authorities said.

The incident was reported around 4:30 p.m. at the end of an access ramp on 18th Street.

A man and woman had parked their newly purchased electric bikes on the beach and were sitting next to them when the battery on one of the bikes malfunctioned, said Mike Halphide, lifeguard battalion chief for the Newport Beach Fire Department.

“Lifeguards on scene reported that the battery was popping and sending projectiles dozens of yards from the fire,” Halphide said. “It’s something I’ve never seen before.”

The couple were not injured and firefighters used a dry chemical to extinguish the blaze. One bike was destroyed and the other was damaged, he said.

The couple bought the bikes, that each cost about $2,500, last week, Halphide said.

“I hope they get their money back,” he added.

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