Cell Phone Catches Fire, Burns Man Over Half His Body

[dark_shadows]

link (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,243888,00.html)

VALLEJO, Calif. — A cell phone apparently ignited in a man's pocket and started a fire that burned his hotel room and caused severe burns over half his body, fire department officials said.

Luis Picaso, 59, of Vallejo was in stable condition Monday at UC Davis Medical Center (javascript:siteSearch('UC Davis Medical Center');) with second and third-degree burns to his upper body, back, right arm and right leg, Vallejo Fire Department assistant chief Kurt Henke said.

Firefighters arrived at the residential hotel late Saturday night to find Picaso lying on the bathroom floor after the cell phone (javascript:siteSearch('cell phone');) in Picaso's pants pocket set fire to his nylon and polyester clothes, department spokesman Bill Tweedy said.

[LisainWV]

Good heavens!! I know mine feels really hot sometimes when I talk on it for any amount of time, but catching on fire in your pocket???


I wonder how many others have started fires (houses, cars...) where they weren't id'ed as the cause??

[dingo]

Ive never thought of a mobile phone catching fire.....something else to be careful about.
Thanks for the story dark_shadows

[kgeaux]

I wonder what kind of battery he had? I've read recently about some "lookalike" batteries (you know, like buying a rolex for $25 dollars from the guy on the street corner) and they are very prone to ignite spontaneously.

[dingo]

Good point