Defective Battery Jump Pack Leads to Explosive Fire in Hawaiian Auto Repair Shop

An auto repair shop in Honolulu, Hawaii, is still reeling from a catastrophic explosion, reports Island News.

The incident happened earlier this month, at Starkey’s Auto Repair on Dillingham Boulevard. According to owner John Starkey, the fire was caused by a jump pack: an external battery pack that’s used when a vehicle’s battery won’t start.

Unfortunately, with the battery being sealed inside a plastic pack, technicians were unable to detect any warning signs of something being wrong with it, such as corrosion, acid, or swelling.

The jump pack spontaneously combusted, severely damaging a Jeep Wrangler in the shop. Now, instead of repairing cars, members at Starkey’s have been working to clean up the damage.

“We've got all of our employees out here in protective suits cleaning,” said shop manager Zack Dewater. “You have tenured techs back there that lost everything that they've accumulated over the last 12 years, gone in the fire.”

Already facing difficulty with business due to an ongoing rail project that has brought road construction challenges, the fire has presented another obstacle for the Hawaiian repair shop.

Starkey said that they may be held responsible for what happened if the insurance company cites negligence as the cause, but that his insurance carrier has been supportive through the process. The business has already been approved for $100,000 in insurance money.

“I'd like to have a year-end Christmas party for my staff,” shared Starkey. “I know they all deserve it—we've worked hard to try to rebuild what we've got here.”