Horror as teen is set ablaze after common household item bought on Amazon exploded
A Massachusetts teen was set on fire after her iPhone blew up while connected to a portable charger she purchased on Amazon.
A Massachusetts teen was set on fire after her iPhone blew up while connected to a portable charger she purchased on Amazon.
Audra Cataldo, 16, was watching movies with a friend on Saturday night as she charged her phone.
In the blink of an eye, the back of her phone exploded, leaving a nearby bed and her sleeve engulfed in flames.
The culprit? A portable charger bought off Amazon.
I looked down, and my whole arm was covered in flames, the Topsfield teen told KOLD.
Her iPhone was magnetically attached to the $25 charger and plugged into the wall while she and her friend were spending time together home alone.
Audra Cataldo, 16, heard a sizzle before the back of her phone blew up while she was at a friends house
The Massachusetts teens sleeve and a nearby bed were set ablaze after an iPhone exploded while charging
Cataldo heard a sizzle right before the back of the phone blew up, charring her sweatshirt and leaving small burns on her arm.
It hurt, she added.
Thick, black smoke began to fill the room. Fearful that the house may also go up in flames, she and her friend called for help.
Her friends father raced back to the house, arriving only minutes later to the comforting sight of a firetruck that was already on the scene.
Topsfield Fire Department and Police Department were dispatched to the home where they evacuated the girls before taking the appropriate steps to extinguish the fire.
I looked down and my whole arm was covered in flames Cataldo told KOLD.
In only 45 minutes, the scene was clear.
The burned bedding was removed and checked for extension and the house was ventilated.
Although the fire caused roughly $5,000 worth of damage to the home, the girls made it out safely.
Cataldo was shaken up from the incident and suffered minor burns to her arm. She didnt feel the need to be transported to the hospital.
But the situation couldve turned out much differently. She is grateful that the incident didnt turn out worse than it did - or cause any more destruction in her friends home.
Cataldo and her friend were home alone when the fire started and fearful that the house would catch fire next - so they called for help
Cataldo suffered from minor burns to her arm but declined medical attention - she appeared to be more shaken up about the incident than physically hurt
Cataldo threw out her Amazon purchase, noting that shed probably never use a portable charger again.
If they were asleep in beds in our basement and that happened in the bed or under the bed, it would have been catastrophic, Johannes Booy, Cataldos friends father, added.
They wouldnt have had enough time to get out.
Chief Jenifer Collins-Brown of the Topsfield Fire Department commended the teens in a Facebook post for recognizing a dangerous situation and calling 911.
Though the fire is under investigation, a link for additional reminders and safety precautions pertaining to lithium-ion batteries were shared to Facebook by the department.
This was pretty scary for them, said Michelle Bennett-Booy, Cataldos friends mother.
Johannes Booy, Cataldos friends father, believes that the situation wouldve became catastrophic if the teens were sleeping or in another room
Upon arrival, the fire department removed the burned bedding from the house and extinguished the fire - leaving the family with $5,000 in damages
We are so thankful for all involved to get here as quickly as they did.
There has been several reported incidents of iPhones catching fire while charging in recent years, but the risk remains unlikely.
A damaged battery, power adapters or cables increases the risk of overheating and iPhone explosions.
Leaving the device in direct sunlight or near any open heat sources can also increase the risk of a sudden fire.
Just last year, an iPhone 4 exploded in the kitchen of an Ohio family after they plugged it in to charge before heading to bed, according to WCPO.
The phone was bought many years ago when it first came out but was handed down to their children to play around with.
The 14-year-old phone never had the battery replaced, which may have been a factor leading to the sudden fire.
Lithium-ion batteries are in every Apple product, as well as most portable chargers.
