A small fire erupted at Denver International Airport (DIA) after a vape battery reportedly caught a traveler’s satchel on fire.
The fire sparked by the vape’s exposed battery was immediately suppressed by a TSA agent wielding a fire extinguisher.
The Denver Fire Department indicated in an incident report that the fire took place some time around 5:00 p.m. on January 30, 2018.
The incident, according to the fire department’s report, occurred as the man’s disassembled vape pen was passing through an x-ray machine at a TSA security checkpoint. The entire incident reportedly unfolded over the course of less than a minute.
As for the man whose vape pen it was, no charges were filed against him.
While the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prohibits vaping devices such as electronic cigarettes from being stored in checked bags, passengers are still allowed to carry them on their persons or in their carry-on luggage, assuming that the airline they’re flying with doesn’t have a policy saying otherwise, which is actually the case with some airlines in particular.
While the entire incident unfolded over the span of what was reportedly less than a minute, The Denver Post reported that some passengers were still forced to evacuate and then proceed to wait for alternative security lines to open up.
As for what exactly caused the fire, federal airport authorities and the Denver Fire Department revealed that the exposed lithium-ion battery in the man’s carry-on bag “likely made contact with conductive materials in the bag, causing the battery to create a ‘dead short'” which in turn “caused the battery to heat up combustible materials within the bag, leading to a fire just as the bag passed through a TSA X-ray machine.”
Denver Fire Captain Greg Pixley was quoted by KTVQ as having said that while lithium-ion batteries can malfunction, issues with them are generally “uncommon.”
“Lithium battery issues are uncommon.”
But while uncommon, with the rise in vaping’s popularity, lithium-ion batteries are increasingly regularly in prevalence.
In related news, a possible e-cig explosion has left one Florida woman injured and in a separate incident, authorities believe an exploding e-cig likely caused a townhouse fire in Canada. Unfortunately, such incidents, according to official data from U.S. government agencies, are clearly on the rise.
The Best Portable Vaporizer Under $150...
You Haven't Lived Until You've Tried This Vape...
This Automatic Herb Grinder Can Roll You Joints...