E-Cig explosion caught on camera brings up question of vaping safety

Terrifying moments were caught on camera after a man's E-Cigarette exploded in his pocket setting his leg on fire.        

The man on Thursday was on a Fax Bus in Fresno, California just having a casual conversation with another passenger on the bus. Surveillance caught the moment his Electronic Cigarette exploded in his pocket. The 53-year-old suffered minor burns to his right thigh and hand.  

Blaine Paulson works for Create a Cig in Southeast Austin. “When they make a connection to anything, metal, lint whatever, there's nothing really stopping it, this kind of insulates it. Without it, it will just fire until everything, goes boom,” he spoke about the white ring found on the bottom of batteries.

According to FEMA Fire Officials, millions of Americans use Electronic Cigarettes, but these fires or explosions are rare. “If you're going to start vaping, ask questions, ask any question you can. You want to know how the device works, you want to know how the battery works and you want to know how what not to do and what to do,” Paulson said.

With the popularity of vaping rapidly growing, accidents are bound to happen, and more often than not, they can be prevented. Paulson said it really comes down to the batteries, and the quality of the vape products you’re buying. Regulated products are better and have to follow safety codes. “If you get a bad device you may never know until it's too late, you don't want to be like ‘Oh I could've gotten something better for a little more money, instead of losing, my hand or a finger, or whatever the case may be,” he said.

Paulson said at the very least, if you keep your vape in your pocket, keep it in a case, get a device that has a locking mechanism, or take the batteries out and put them in a case and carry them separately,