E-cigarette fire sparks more safety concerns

A Wigan woman is the latest resident to have a close call with an e-cigarette after the gadget caught fire when plugged in.
Another e-cig fire raises fearsAnother e-cig fire raises fears
Another e-cig fire raises fears

Leanne Williams posted images of the remains of an 88Vape brand device, broken apart and reduced to shrapnel by the incident.

The device caused melting to the carpet and burns and ash up the wall surrounding the mains socket which it had been plugged into.

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Leanne from Bryn said: “It was on charge on the landing. I heard a big bang, and my other half jumped out of bed.

“It was in flames and there were burns all over because it had blown up and the bits were also on fire.

“If anyone had been near it, it would have really hurt them.”

Leanne had purchased the device from B&M Bargains in Standishgate.

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But responding to her complaint about the incident, a B&M spokesman said: “The packaging on the item states it should be charged with a USB port and not using a wall charger as you have done.

“Due to this, we can confirm the product is not defective and the issue has been caused due to improper use.”

Sadly, Leanne joins a string of Wiganers to have been hit by the astounding incidents.

In October 2014, a man was rushed to hospital with horrific injuries after his e-cigarette exploded.

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The man in his forties was found seriously injured in his house in Scholes after the e-cig blast caused shards of metal to embed his legs.

The explosion was so powerful that it even blew out the lenses in his glasses.

He had thrown the brand-new e-cigarette on the floor after it suddenly became very hot, before it exploded and sent pieces of metal flying into the man’s legs.

One of the man’s neighbours, Billy Baldwin said he was “shocked to think that such a small device designed to help you could cause so much injury.”

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Mr Baldwin added: “It’s definitely been a warning to all of us who live here.”

And just three months prior to that horrifying incident, a Leigh family were lucky to escape with their lives after their home was engulfed in an horrific blaze sparked by an e-cigarette and its charger.

Victoria Newton and her three children, Dylan, Millie-Anne and Lauren, were left homeless after the fire ripped through their semi-detached property when an e-cigarette blew up after being left plugged in.

Victoria said: “It was a nightmare.

“I was doing housework and I heard this crackling noise coming from Lauren’s bedroom.

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“It had been left on the floor and the explosion sent it flying across the room.

“There was smoke everywhere and the room was on fire. The force of the blast had blown out all of the bedroom windows and blown the door off the hinges.”

Following a string of electronic cigarette-related fires across the UK, the government issued several measures to boost safety in the wake of the increasing concerns.

Tips included not overloading plug sockets, making sure e-cigarettes are always switched off when not in use, checking for product recalls and looking for the CE mark that indicates chargers comply with European Safety standards.

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