Couple believes 2-year-old son's light-up shoes sparked car fire
KATY, Texas - Fire officials are investigating a car fire in Texas after it was reported that it was caused by a pair of toddler light-up shoes.
A couple in West Houston believe their 2-year-old son's Jake Lighted Runner shoes purchased at Payless ShoeSource ignited the fire inside their SUV. The blaze burned a hole through the floor of the vehicle and melted the passenger seat.
"There was nothing else in there to start a fire," Virag said.
The family believes a lithium battery in the shoe caused the fire.
"I'm just glad that my son wasn't wearing it at the time," said Jovan Virag. "If he had been wearing it, I don't know if he could have told me my foot is hot, and I don't think he could take it off himself."
The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office has not officially ruled on the cause of the fire and they are still investigating.
Payless ShoeSource said it has removed the shoes from its store shelves to investigate the family's claims about the shoes.