Unattended Vape Causes Fire Damage In Minnesota Home

Well, I learned something new today. An unattended disposable vape can catch fire while charging. Yikes!

An old co-worker of mine shared these photos of what happened when he left his disposable vape plugged in and unattended. The damage caused by the vape catching fire is costly, but fortunately, the house wasn't a total loss.

He plugged in the disposable vape to a charger and left the house for approximately three hours. When he returned, the Gilbert, Minnesota, police and fire department was on scene and had extinguished the fire. He says an entire Instant Pot near the charger completely melted.

Soot covered the ceilings, and there was damage to the flooring and cabinets as well.

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Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries that can be recharged. They have high energy density and are efficient, but also can catch fire. If a battery is damaged or overcharged, it can cause a chain reaction that results in a fire or explosion.

I now know to never leave a vape charging while I'm away or asleep. Some fires have started from vapes charging while the user sleeps. Fortunately, nobody was injured in this incident, and the fire department was able to respond in time.