Former Playboy model and reality television star Kari Ann Peniche lost nearly everything after an electric bike battery suddenly exploded inside her Oregon home, sparking a terrifying fire that engulfed the property within seconds.
The 42-year-old former beauty queen shared shocking footage of the November 5 incident at her five-bedroom home in Troutdale, just outside Portland, showing how quickly an ordinary evening turned into a nightmare.
Peniche said the family first noticed a strange odor coming from the living room but initially dismissed it as something harmless.
“At first I thought maybe a neighbor was cooking broccoli or that our cat had brought a dead animal into the house,” she explained on Instagram.
Her 15-year-old son, Preston, began searching for the source of the smell when he and a friend noticed something alarming: the battery from his electric bicycle was smoking.
Within moments, the situation became terrifying.
The lithium-ion battery began popping and exploding, sending flames rapidly across the room. Surveillance footage captured the frightening scene as smoke filled the home before a powerful burst of fire erupted.
Peniche said the blaze spread so quickly that the family barely had time to react.
“Within moments the battery began exploding and in a matter of seconds our home was engulfed in flames,” she recalled. “I can’t even begin to explain how terrifying it was and how quickly everything happened.”
The family abandoned their belongings and rushed to escape as flames consumed the house.
Peniche also alerted a couple living in an upstairs apartment, helping them get out before the fire spread further.
All six people inside the home escaped without injury, but the destruction was devastating.
The five-bedroom property was heavily damaged, and both households lost nearly everything they owned.
Tragically, a cat named Pax belonging to upstairs resident Kelli Gasaway did not survive the fire.
Gasaway later described the explosion as sounding like a grenade going off inside the house. She credited Peniche with alerting her and her partner to the danger before it was too late.
For Peniche, who appeared on reality television programs including “Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew” and previously held the title of Miss Oregon Teen USA, the loss has been overwhelming.
“We lost everything,” she wrote, explaining that the fire destroyed clothing, photographs, artwork, electronics and irreplaceable family keepsakes.
Among the possessions lost were photographs and memorabilia from her modeling and beauty pageant career.
But one detail about the fire has made the incident particularly frightening.
According to Peniche and her son, the e-bike battery was not plugged in or charging when it began smoking. Preston said he had ridden the bicycle earlier that day and brought the battery inside, where it was resting on a chair.
Fire investigators identified the lithium-ion battery as the source of the blaze, although the precise reason it failed has not been publicly established.
Peniche said she had never imagined a rechargeable battery could cause such widespread destruction in such a short time.
The experience has also left her haunted by how differently the night could have ended.
“I keep thinking what if we had already been asleep? What if nobody had noticed the smell? It’s a terrifying thought,” she wrote.
Now, the former model is urging families to be aware of the dangers associated with lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly used in electric bicycles, scooters and other rechargeable devices.
These batteries can sometimes enter a dangerous condition known as thermal runaway, in which rapidly increasing temperatures can trigger fire, smoke and explosions.
Fire safety experts recommend using manufacturer-approved batteries and chargers, avoiding damaged or overheating batteries, and never ignoring unusual odors, swelling, smoke or popping sounds.
The danger is becoming an increasing concern in Oregon. According to the Oregon State Fire Marshal, firefighters responded to 649 lithium-ion battery-related fires statewide between 2020 and 2025.
For Peniche and the other residents, the road to recovery is only beginning. Fundraisers have been established to help the displaced families replace essential belongings and find stability after the disaster.
Despite losing her home and so many irreplaceable memories, Peniche says she is focusing on the fact that her family survived.
“We lost our home and everything inside it, but we still have each other,” she wrote.