eCig go BOOM!

[Sapphire Silk]

So, as we're sitting here it's almost 1:30am EST.

About midnight I'm settling in the bed trying to get to sleep when there's this sudden flash of light coming in through my bedroom window and a muffled "BOOM!"

At first I'm annoyed. The neighbors on that street include my idiot neighbors who are always shooting off fire works late a night on a lark. At first, I think it's that . . . though it didn't sound like fireworks.

Then I hear all the sirens. They come quick. My window starts pulsating with light.

So I get dressed and head outside. Tons of cop cars, two fire trucks, and an ambulance is just arriving; the firemen are putting out a car that is on fire . I walk down the street to the corner and talk to a neighbor. A guy on the street was leaning against the car smoking an electric cigarette when there was a sudden flash of fire. One of the windows was covered in plastic and the plastic caught fire and caught to the guy's arm. He's got a pretty serious burn on his arm; they started 2 IVs on him before they took him off to the hospital. Fluid resuscitation is an important part of burn care, so it must have been serious.

The firemen spent a while trying to get into the trunk; I guess they were trying to make sure the fire was completely out. They really had to work to get into it; it was stuck. It took the jaws of life to pry it open. Fortunately, the fire is all the way out.

Another part that really sucks is the kid who got burned isn't the owner of the car. It belongs to his neighbor, and its the primary work vehicle of that neighbor.

I'll have to check the news to see if there are any updates later. I don't get on well with anyone on that street so I doubt I'll get an update from the neighbors.

[bhskittykatt]

Yikes! I didn't know eCigs could do that. *quickly googles eCig explosions* I think I will make sure Hubs uses the right charger on his eCig, since he sometimes uses one.

[Gilhelmi]

Uh, please keep us updated, if you can.

It is a good thing working nights runs in the family.

*scurries away to call sister-in-law, and warn her*

[Peppergirl]

*looks at e-cig in hand*

*reads story again*

*reconsiders future use of e-cig*

[Sapphire Silk]

I looked up the accident report, and the FD is investigating it as an arson.

Earlier this month residents of the home where the person was burned was staying were charged with insurance fraud. They were moving into the house (must be a rental) and their U Haul hit their vehicle. They called and reported it as a hit and run.

I'll bet they declined the supplemental insurance.

So I'm betting that whatever caused the fire, it wasn't the eCig. It just doesn't make any sense.

[dendawg]

The only part of an e-cig I could see exploding would be the battery....and even then it'd probably only cause minor chemical burns (from the battery's electrolyte) and 2nd degree burns at worst.

[SteeleDragon78]

The only part of an e-cig I could see exploding would be the battery....and even then it'd probably only cause minor chemical burns (from the battery's electrolyte) and 2nd degree burns at worst.

actually they can and will in some instances turn into a road flare. depending on the chemistry of the battery. most pen styles use lithium-cobalt batteries. those are the ones you will see in most of the "exploding ecig" news stories. the majority of the "big battery" ones use a lithium-manganese chemistry which will get very hot and vent gas, just less violently as the others. for that very reason when asked about mine i advocate for the safer chemistry batteries and larger devices. you will also get more vape time out of them so its win/win.

[wolfie]

A somewhat less-explosive difference between various e-cigs: the ones I've seen at truck stops in the U.S. (disposables, cartridge-load, and refillables) all have nicotine in the "juice". In Canada, it's illegal to put nicotine in an e-cig. Govern yourself accordingly if you're an e-cig user and find yourself on the other side of the border.