adminA woman was badly burnt when her electronic cigarette exploded in the middle of the night — because it was plugged into her phone charger. Lucy May, 22, was in bed asleep in the early hours of Tuesday morning when her e-cigarette suddenly burst into flames. The electronic device blew up after being plugged into an Apple USB socket — only meant for charging iPhones and iPads.
Shocked May woke up to find her bed was on fire and she later had to be treated in hospital after suffering burns to her legs.
May fears she could have killed if she hadn’t woken up in time — and is now warning people not to use phone chargers for e-cigarettes.
Office manager May said: “I had my e-cigarette on charge and went to sleep — next thing I knew I woke up to a fire. The flames were crackling and roaring on my duvet and dressing table, I jumped out of bed and threw a suitcase over them.
“If I had been asleep for five more minutes I would have burned to death. I would say to people not to use a phone charger. With USBs you assume they are universal for any gadget — but that is dangerous. May, of Tenby, Pembrokeshire, has been trying to quit smoking since last year and bought two e-cigarettes for £35 in a local market.
She put the silver eGo e-cigarette on charge at her home after returning from a weekend away.
But it is thought the Apple USB socket she used was too powerful for the e-cigarette to cope with.
She said it “exploded like a bullet”, sending four foot flames blazing around the bedroom of her £570,000 detached house.
“The flames were crackling and roaring on my duvet and dressing table, I jumped out of bed and threw a suitcase over them.”
May woke up at 1am and began screaming and shouting “fire, fire”, waking her father and twin sister Leila. Leila, who lives at the house with her two children, called 999 and fire crews soon arrived at the scene.
May, who was covered in melted plastic, was rushed to Morriston Hospital in Swansea, where she was treated for third degree burns to her hands, legs and the bottom of her abdomen. The blaze caused hundreds of pounds of damage to her duvet, bag and clothing as well as leaving scorch marks on the bedroom wall.
Her family are now urging anyone with an electronic cigarette to check charging instructions carefully, particularly when using USB chargers.
A Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “The fire was contained to a first floor bedroom.” — Daily mail
Online Reporter