Vape pen causes fire at crowded Delta flight point. II
Air travelers have been reminded again why lithium-ion batteries are not allowed in checked baggage.
Incident? A fire on a SkyWest Airlines flight that broke out in an overhead tank.
Fortunately, SkyWest Flight 3879 was yet to begin its journey from New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Houston, Texas on Wednesday. But the disturbing episode was still serious enough for Delta to switch planes, resulting in a flight delay of several hours.
The fire was caused by a vape pen battery that overheated before igniting, SkyWest told Digital Trends.
Videos of the incident quickly appeared online, with one (below) clearly showing flames inside the bin. Another (top) shows a flight attendant putting out a fire with a fire extinguisher as passengers, who were boarding at the time, looked on. There are no reports of injuries.
A fire just broke out on a Delta flight. I was sitting a few rows back, but another person was sitting closer and filmed the flames! The vape pen reportedly exploded and set the bag on fire. @sada this news pic.twitter.com/DYdlfvTM0g
— Rex Sakamoto (@Rexamoto) February 13, 2019
The battery lights up
Lithium-ion batteries power almost every gadget you can think of, from smartphones and laptops to tablets and digital cameras … and vape pens. While most work safely and without incident, damaged or poorly made lithium-ion batteries pose a real fire hazard.
Samsung’s disastrous Galaxy Note 7 is probably the most famous example of how lithium-ion batteries can go horribly wrong, but there have been plenty of other cases over the years where the technology has failed with serious consequences.
Just last year we covered a story almost identical to Wednesday’s event in New York, while in 2017 there was a shocking incident, again on a plane, where the battery inside a pair of wireless headphones exploded, causing injuries to a woman who was using them at the time. And how can we forget the worrying hoverboard fires that made headlines a few years ago?
Although the vast majority of vape pens are safe to use, there have been cases of them suddenly exploding, and some injuries have even proved fatal. For those concerned about using the devices, the US Food and Drug Administration offers helpful tips on how to safely operate them.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn