GROVELAND, Mass. (WHDH) — A Groveland man is warning other drone users about the dangers of overheated batteries after his started a fire in his house.

Paul Lecesse said he and his family were woken up by smoke detectors last week. When he got to the family room, he found his pool table had caught fire. He had been charging his drone’s battery on top of it when it overheated and exploded, sparking flames.

“It was just scary. It was an explosion and the flames came after,” said Lecesse.

Lecesse was able to put the fire out with an extinguisher before the flames came roaring back. He said eventually, he had to throw the charred remains of his pool table outside onto the driveway, where his daughter hosed everything off. He said he will no longer use his drone, which he used to take pictures while fishing, and is warning others to be careful.

“I thought we were gonna lose the house,” said Lecesse. “We were lucky that we were home, we’re lucky that no one got hurt.”

Firefighters warn drone owners to not charge lithium batteries on combustible or soft surfaces and to follow the manufacturers’ instructions.

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