Tuesday, February 4, 2014

iPhone 5C Sets Girl’s Pants On Fire - Report

A 14-year-old girl in Maine was severely burned when her iPhone 5C caught on fire in her pocket, the Portland Press Herald reports.


The girl, whose name was withheld by her mother, suffered from second-degree burns on Friday. She was burned on her leg and back, and was taken immediately to the hospital where she was treated and released after around 45 minutes.
“Immediately, smoke starts billowing from around the student,” Jeff Rodman, the school’s principal, told the Sentinel. “She knew right away something was wrong and, in a panic, knew her pants were on fire caused by the cellphone.” The Sentinel also published a photo of the melted and scorched iPhone.

The girl was forced to remove her pants, and the iPhone was still “smoldering” when the iPhone fell to the floor, according to the Sentinel.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. We will update with any response.
This is the first report of Apple’s newer, less expensive iPhone catching on fire. In 2009, a man was allegedly hit in the eye with a piece of glass when an iPhone he was holding exploded.
In 2013, there were multiple reports of Samsung phones catching on fire and injuring their owners. One man’s house was even reportedly burned down because his Samsung Galaxy S4 caught on fire.
Phone fires are generally thought to be the result of problems with the lithium-ion batteries they use, which can occasionally overheat and cause fires. Lithium-ion batteries have also caused problems in Boeing 787s recently when they have leaked and overheated.

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