Lakeville, Mass., Teen Hears 'Pop' As Laptop Ignites His Bedding, Mattress

A fire caused by a teenager's laptop Thursday evening remains under investigation in Lakeville, Massachusetts. Lakeville Fire said the fire broke out at 54 Montgomery St. just before 9 p.m. A 17-year-old girl was in her bedroom when she reported hearing a “pop” and seeing her computer on fire. the dresser, and I hear a noise and I look in the mirror and behind me there's just a flame,” Aurora Corbett said. The computer's lithium-ion battery had overheated, leaving behind burnt blankets and a blackened mattress. » I ran to the other side of the house. I grabbed my grandparents. “There’s a fire in the house! “, Corbett said. She unplugged the laptop, called the fire department and started looking for a fire extinguisher. “I don’t know where we keep ours, so I’m going through the cabinets trying to find baking soda,” she said. Eventually, Corbett's grandmother helped put it out. “She grabbed the blankets and just patted them,” she said. Fenway, Corbett's cat, was right next to the laptop and went off into another room. Another cat, Thomas, was frightened by the fire and activity and ran away from the house. He was eventually found safe and sound. Firefighters removed the laptop, bedding and a mattress from the home. “The battery burned with such intensity that the fire quickly spread to the mattress,” Lakeville Fire said in a social media post. Lakeville Deputy Fire Chief Pam Grant said Corbett's quick thinking saved his life. “I received help. I called 911. He was a rock star. She was shaken, but she handled the situation with so much grace,” Grant said. The department gave Corbett a special coin for his quick action and a stuffed Dalmatian. Out of concern that the battery might reignite, the laptop and battery were taken back to the fire station and placed in a container. Officials said laptops should be stored on a hard surface to allow for adequate ventilation and cooling. In April, the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal's Office said 50 fires involving lithium-ion batteries had been reported in the past six months, more than double the annual average. reported by a national fire data reporting system. Massachusetts State Fire Marshal Jon Davine offers these safety tips to prevent lithium-ion battery fires: Make sure you have working smoke detectors installed on every level of your home. Use only original equipment manufacturer batteries and batteries. loading equipment. Aftermarket or generic batteries and chargers may be less expensive, but are more likely to present a burn, fire, or explosion hazard. Store scooters and e-bikes outside if possible. If you must store them indoors, keep them and their batteries away from doors, windows and stairs. Charge the battery directly from a wall outlet, not an extension cord or power strip. Place it on a hard, stable surface, not on a bed, sofa or pillow. Charge only one battery or device at a time and unplug it when fully charged. Do not allow a charged battery to continue charging. If you notice any changes to the battery or the device, including damage, unusual odor, change in color, excessive heat, change in shape, leak, smoke, or failure to store it. a charge, stop using it immediately. If and when it's time to throw away the battery, don't put it in the trash. Lithium-ion batteries need to be recycled and you can find a place to collect them at