Exploding e-cigarette leaves teen with third-degree burns. Austin Dunn has never felt pain quite like it. And, if anything, the burning sensations on his legs and hand have worsened since an explosion literally set his pants on fire.
“Imagine a fountain of fireworks going off in your pocket,” said Dunn, 19. “There were flames shooting out of my pocket and down my leg.”
When Dunn hit his thigh, he said the coins shifted in his pocket, coming into contact with the battery of the e-cigarette and igniting.
“I was wearing work gloves, so I grabbed the battery that was on fire with my work gloves, and it melted the batteries to my hand,” said Dunn, his hand bandaged from the injuries. “I tried to throw the battery, and it stuck to my hand, so my hand was on fire and leg was on fire at the same time. My reaction was ‘I need to get this off,’ so I ripped it off, which caused a line of ripped skin down my hand, and the black part was still there.”
In the end, Dunn had to have his pants cut off his body to minimize the pain. He suffered second and third degree burns in the accident he never saw coming. “I’ve always heard stories, and I never expected it to happen to me,” he said.
Most accidents are due to “user error,” but it can be tough for these users to keep up with technology. As e-cigarette and vaping become more popular, new devices have emerged, some of which are incompatible with the other, older devices. The most important thing is to be careful with batteries of any kind, and thinking carefully about how you’re using the e-cigarette.
Parents should make sure their children do not have access to e-cigarette. Under law, minors are for bidden from vaping.
