MEC&F Expert Engineers : ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

Saturday, January 3, 2015

ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS



Electronic Cigarette Fires and Explosions 



Key Points

       More than 2.5 million Americans are using electronic cigarettes (e-cigs or e-cigarettes), and this number is growing rapidly.

       Fires or explosions caused by e-cigarettes are rare. 
•      Twenty-five separate incidents of explosion and fire involving an e-cigarette were reported in the United States media be-tween 2009 and August 2014.

       Nine injuries and no deaths were associated with these 25 incidents. Two of the injuries were serious burns.

       Most of the incidents occurred while the battery was charging.

       The shape and construction of e-cigarettes can make them more likely than other products with lithium-ion batteries to be-have like “flaming rockets” when a battery fails.

       Lithium-ion batteries must be charged in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

       Using power sources not approved by the manufacturer to recharge a lithium-ion battery can result in an explosion and fire.