This was on the news this morning. The rechargable lithium-ion battery was loose in his pocket. My guess is that he had keys, change, etc in the pocket as well.
It's a shame that the media will blow this out if proportion and cast a bad light on vaping in general. All because of one individual's stupidity.
Arlington Man Sets Crotch On Fire, Sues Vape Shop Over Exploding E-Cig Battery « CBS Dallas / Fort Worth
" How did the manufacturer get the product on the shelves at Vixen Vapors? asked Jim Ross, Powells attorney.
Ross says theyve been able to trace the battery manufacturers to China and he is pushing for accountability from the people who sold it.
You have a duty to protect people and warn people of those dangerous products, said Ross."
As a relatively new vaper years ago I had a battery explode in a mod that was in a pants pocket. Luckily I was not wearing the pants at the time, they were hanging in a locker at work. The fire button on the mod became stuck in the fire position and over-discharged the battery to failure.
I have also had a battery get extremely hot and vent when in a pocket that I was not aware had coins in the pocket. Luckily I was able to remove it very soon when it began to vent.
This is precisely why I have become a battery safety advocate on ECF. Manufacturers and retailers must educate consumers about the potential dangers of batteries in e-cig devices. Not all consumers have common sense, and need to know what NOT to do with their batteries. Improper use or storage of ANY BATTERY can lead to catastrophe.
IMR battery failure
Battery Basics for Mods: IMR or Protected ICR?
Deeper Understanding of Mod Batteries Part 1
BATTERY SAFETY TIPS:
Use common sense.
Don't carry spare batteries in your pocket or purse where they can come into contact with loose change or keys - use plastic battery cases.
Don't skimp by buying cheap batteries or a cheap charger. Buy quality batteries and chargers, they'll be well worth it in the long run.
Purchase only recognizeable & reputable brand-name batteries like AW, LG, MNKE, Orbtronics, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony.
Purchase brand-name chargers like Pila, Xtar, Nitecore, and Efest.
Use the appropriate "chemistry" battery. Only use IMR or IMR/hybrid safe-chemistry batteries, not protected ICR batteries. Do not use alkaline or similar over-the-counter batteries sold from hardware or electronics stores.
Use the appropriate battery for the specified application. Check battery specifications.
Don't over-charge or over-discharge batteries.
Don't buy any battery with "fire" in the name - Surefire, Trustfire, Ultrafire.
Don't use generic batteries or batteries harvested from lap top computers.
Be aware of fake or counterfeit batteries made to look like AW or Sony batteries. Buy from reputable battery vendors like RTD Vapor, Illumination Supply, or Orbtronics who can verify the source of their batteries directly from the manufacturers. Many of the batteries sold on EBay or Amazon are counterfeits and could be dangerous if used in a mod.
Don't put magnets on flat-top batteries to try to make them button-tops.
Don't stack batteries.
