Vape Explosions: Comprehensive Worldwide List
Note to press: This article contains the most comprehensive list of vape explosions that has ever been made available to the public, and we have continued to update it regularly since publishing it in 2016. We believe that the statistics we’ve gathered have the potential to reduce or eliminate vape explosions, improving safety for vapers everywhere.
Please use this information and don’t forget to credit our work with a link.
Do you need a statement, or do you have questions? Email admin@ecigone.com.
Welcome to an article that’s been a true labor of love for our staff: a comprehensive list of all vape explosions that have ever been reported in the media. In recent years, reports of exploding vapes have been on the rise — to the point where many major publications have begun to run feature-length articles about them. Virtually every article about e-cigarette explosions cites a research paper from FEMA which is now many years out of date and doesn’t even begin to shed light on the true nature of why vapes explode. That’s why we created this list — to explain why the explosions happen and tell you what you can do to prevent them.
374 Vape Explosions: Statistics and Data Analysis
To date, we have been able to find reports of 374 vape explosions containing sufficient information for us to write about them. These reports were found in local and national media around the world. Here’s what we learned.
When Do Vape Batteries Explode?
- Explosion happened during use (90) 24.1%
- Explosion happened during charging (102) 27.3%
- Explosion happened during transport, storage or unknown circumstances (103) 27.5%
- Explosion involved bare lithium-ion battery or batteries (79) 21.1%
When an explosion involves a spare battery for a vaping device, the media may incorrectly report it as a “vape explosion” when the truth is that vaping devices use commonly available lithium-ion cells that work in many types of consumer products. If a person’s spare 18650 flashlight batteries explode in his pocket — which has happened — it’s unlikely that the incident would be front-page news.
It is interesting to note that the nature of vape explosions has changed over the years. The FEMA document mentioned above suggests that approximately 80 percent of explosions happen during charging. In addition, most e-cigarette explosions that occurred before early 2015 involved no reported injuries. However, the circumstances changed when sub-ohm vaping and mods with removable batteries became more popular. More than ever, vapes explode during use. Explosions resulting from people carrying spare batteries in their pockets are also far more common. Regardless of the circumstances, vape explosions are far more likely to cause injuries today than they were in the past.
How Many Vape Explosions Have Caused Injuries?
Based on our data, it would appear that vape explosions are more likely to cause injury than not. However, it should be noted that the media is probably less likely to report on events that don’t result in injury or severe property damage.
- Explosion resulted in personal injury or death (257) 68.7%
- No reported injury, but property damage may have occurred (117) 31.3%
Many Vape Explosions Aren’t Reported
In researching this list of e-cigarette explosions, we quickly became certain of one thing: many e-cigarette explosions are never reported in the media.
Even small e-cigarette batteries can explode violently when charged incorrectly. (Credit: Shropshire Star)
Why are vape explosions under-reported? We surmise that the reasons might be much the same as they would be for any other type of fire. In some cases, local media might not consider the event newsworthy. In other cases, the device’s owner might not report the event, perhaps out of embarrassment or because no serious damage was caused. Because our data is incomplete, it could be skewed in a way that makes injuries seem more common than they actually are.
Also, as alarming as vape battery explosions are, it’s important to remember that there are approximately 90,000 fires caused in the United States alone from cigarettes and other smoking materials each year. The numbers simply aren’t comparable at all.
How Can You Avoid a Vape Explosion?
Most vape explosions are preventable. If you follow these instructions, you’ll minimize the chance of ever experiencing a problem with your vaping device. Click an item for more information.
Follow the charging guidelines for your device.
Over 27 percent of vape battery explosions happen during charging. Always follow the charging instructions in the instruction manual for your vaping device and don’t ever charge the device unattended. It’s usually best to charge a vape with your computer. Avoid using a wall charger unless you’re certain your device supports it. Don’t ever charge a vape with the wall adapter for a computer, mobile phone or tablet.
Don't carry spare batteries in your pocket. Transport loose batteries in storage cases. Discard batteries with visible damage.
A battery with visible damage to the wrapper could cause a dangerous short if it isn’t re-wrapped. (Credit: Candle Power Forums)
Over 20 percent of “vape explosions” actually happen with spare batteries for removable-battery mods and not with the vaping devices themselves. Don’t ever carry a spare vape battery in your pocket because a short circuit could occur if the battery touches another metal item such as your keys or loose change. Transport batteries in a dedicated case that’s carried outside of your pocket. If a battery has a tear in its wrapper, re-wrap the battery or stop using it. If a battery has any other form of visible damage such as warping or bulging, recycle it.
Don't use a mechanical mod. If you do, exercise extreme caution.
A mechanical mod has no safety timer and can pose an explosion risk when carried in a pocket or handbag — particularly if it doesn’t have a recessed fire button. (Credit: Mirror)
Over 23 percent of vape explosions happen during use, and these types of explosions often result in gruesome and incredibly painful injuries. When a vape explodes during use, it’s typically a mechanical mod. A mechanical mod is a non-electronic vaping device that offers no built-in safety protections — it’s just a simple tube or box with a button. A mechanical mod offers no protection if your device has a short circuit or a damaged or over-drained battery. A mechanical mod also has no safety timer to prevent overheating if the fire button is inadvertently held down. Modern regulated vape mods are so capable that there’s really no reason to use a mech mod at all. If you do use one, make sure that you understand the risks and know how to mitigate them.
Don't use a hybrid mechanical mod under any circumstances.
A hybrid mechanical mod has a hole in the top cap allowing the atomizer or tank to directly touch the battery’s positive terminal. This type of connection is inherently unsafe because it greatly increases the risk of a short circuit. A hybrid mod can only be used with a tank or atomizer that has a protruding center pin. If the pin and threading are even with one another and touch the battery simultaneously, a short circuit will occur. Hybrid mods are rarely sold today. If you find one in a junk drawer, do the world a favor and throw it away.
Check the resistance when using a rebuildable atomizer.
If you use a rebuildable atomizer, always check your coils with a standalone resistance tester before using them. Don’t assume that your vape will protect you if you’ve made a mistake building the coil. Better yet, switch to a sub-ohm tank with pre-built coils. Today’s mesh coils are so good that there’s little reason to use a rebuildable atomizer at all.
Dispose of your vapes properly.
The popularity of disposable vapes over the past few years has greatly increased the amount of waste generated by vapers. Always dispose of vapes in accordance with your community’s hazardous waste guidelines. Fires have started in garbage and recycling trucks because people have discarded used vapes by throwing them in their household trash or recycling bins. Also, you should never discard a vape by throwing it out of your car’s window. Another vehicle could run over the device and trigger an explosion.
Buy your vapes from a reliable vape shop.
the popularity of disposable vapes has led to rampant counterfeiting. Millions of fake vapes have been seized by law enforcement officers, and there are probably millions more on store shelves waiting to be bought. It’s reasonable to assume that fake vapes will be made with lower-quality components and will be more likely to explode as a result. Don’t buy your vapes from a convenience store or gas station. Buy them from a reliable vape shop that sources its products from official distributors and not from shady sources.
List of All Vape Explosions
This is a list of all e-cigarette explosions known to us from August 2009 to the present day. For each explosion, we’ve included a synopsis, a link to the news report, the type of vaping device if known and a hypothesis as to the cause if sufficient information is available. We’ll be keeping this list updated in the future. If you’re aware of an e-cigarette explosion that we’ve missed, contact us using the address at the top of the page.
You can filter this list by typing a term in the “Search” field. Try typing a city like “Los Angeles,” a country like “Canada” or “UK” or a vape device like “Elf Bar” or “iStick.” If you’re using a mobile device, you may need to scroll the table to the right to see all data.
| Date | Location | What Happened | Vape Device | Probable Cause | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | Bakersfield, CA | A boy's vape exploded in his hand while he was using it. The explosion caused catastrophic damage that required the partial amputation of some digits. | Geek Bar Pulse X | The boy apparently had a history of finding discarded vapes and trying to get them to work again. He banged the device against the ground to try to get it working. This may have either caused a short circuit or directly damaged the battery cell. | Link |
| December 2024 | Nottingham, UK | A woman's vaping device caught fire while on a piece of furniture, starting a fire that caused severe home damage. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2024 | Palermo, Italy | A vape exploded in a woman's mouth while she was using it. She suffered a severe injury to her mouth and was rushed to a local hospital for treatment. | Unknown | According to the authorities who investigated the incident, the cause was a short circuit in the device. | Link |
| October 2024 | United Kingdom | A man's spare vape battery exploded while he was carrying it in his pocket. The man was left with horrible burn injuries and received £20,000 in legal compensation. | Not applicable | The battery shorted after touching the man's vaping device or another metal object. | Link |
| September 2024 | Heraklion, Greece | A bag in an overhead bin on an EasyJet plane caught fire as the plane was preparing for takeoff. The flight crew had to deploy the plane's emergency slide so passengers could evacuate. The bag apparently contained several vaping devices along with a backup battery. Although this is being tracked as a vape battery fire, the airline didn't conclusively say whether the vapes were actually the root cause of the fire. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| August 2024 | Harlesden, UK | A small shop was badly damaged by a vaping device that caught fire. Around 40 firefighters were needed to bring the blaze under control. | Unknown | The article mentions a "dodgy vape" but provides no other information about the circumstances of the fire. | Link |
| July 2024 | Unknown | A vaping device exploded after being left in a car on a hot day. Although no injuries were reported, the car was completely destroyed. | Unknown | The battery in the vape overheated because it was left in a car in direct sunlight. | Link |
| May 2024 | Winnipeg, Canada | A vaping device caught fire while charging. Although the fire was quickly extinguished, one of the home's occupants had to be taken to a local hospital for treatment. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| May 2024 | Brighton, UK | A vape battery exploded while charging, causing a major fire in a family's home. The fire rendered the house uninhabitable and destroyed many of the family's belongings. | Unknown | The device was apparently connected to a chain of extension cables, which somehow caused the battery to overcharge and enter thermal runaway. | Link |
| May 2024 | London, UK | A vaping device that was being stored in a backpack caught fire. The fire took place in a hospital, leading to the evacuation of about 40 people. A few people were treated for smoke inhalation, and the fire also caused mild building damage that was quickly repaired. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| March 2024 | Ogden, UT | A spare vape battery caught fire while it was being carried in a man's pocket. The battery shot across the room and nearly hit a customer at the arcade where the man worked. Thankfully, the customer was uninjured, and the man's burns were minor. | Not applicable, but the battery was from the Hohm brand. | Possibly the battery shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| January 2024 | Camberley, UK | A spare vape battery exploded while being carried in a woman's jacket pocket. The resulting fire caused severe burns to the woman's leg and hand. | Not applicable | The battery shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| 2023 | Oregon | A disposable vape suddenly caught fire while charging just a few feet away from a toddler. Thankfully, no one was hurt. | The device was an Elf Bar-branded disposable vape. | Unknown. Possibly the device was being charged with an incompatible high-speed charger. It's also possible that the device was a fake Elf Bar. | Link |
| December 2023 | Dartford, UK | A man's spare vape battery exploded on the floor of a truck after falling out of his pocket. The truck was equipped with a fire extinguisher, and the man put the fire out before severe damage was caused. | Not applicable | The battery got caught in the truck's seat adjustment mechanism and was deformed, causing it to catch fire. | Link |
| November 2023 | Stoke on Trent, UK | A man's vaping device exploded in his hand immediately after he installed a new set of batteries, which he purchased from Amazon. The explosion caused severe damage to the man's hand. | Unknown | Unknown. The news source contains no information about the device or the batteries. It's possible that the batteries were counterfeit or that they weren't rated for high-amperage loads. | Link |
| October 2023 | Colne, UK | A man's spare vape battery exploded while he was carrying it in his pocket. The flaming battery set the man's pants on fire, causing second-degree burns. | Not applicable | The battery shorted after touching some keys, which the man said he was carrying in the same pocket. | Link |
| August 2023 | Victoria, Australia | A vaping device that was disposed of improperly caught fire while being transported in a recycling truck. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | The recycling truck probably had a compactor that damaged the battery. | Link |
| August 2023 | Kibblesworth, UK | A disposable vape exploded while it was being charged, starting a fire that caused severe home damage. All of the home's residents were treated for smoke inhalation. | Unknown, but the picture definitely shows a disposable vape. | Unknown | Link |
| July 2023 | Festus, MO | A woman's vaping device exploded while being carried in her purse and started a small fire. The purse and its contents were damaged, but no injuries were reported. The news source contains no other relevant information. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| June 2023 | London, UK | A potentially fake Lost Mary vape exploded while charging, causing a fire that badly torched a bed in a London flat. No injuries were reported. | The device was a Lost Mary-branded disposable vape, but the device's owner reported that he thought it might be a knockoff. | Unknown. Because of the horrible manufacturing conditions and substandard components used, many things can go wrong with fake vapes. | Link |
| May 2023 | Geneva, Switzerland | A vaping device exploded and caught fire on an EasyJet flight from Geneva to Amsterdam shortly after takeoff. Passengers were able to put the fire out, but the plane was forced to make an emergency landing. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| April 2023 | Phoenix, AZ | A man's vape exploded while he was carrying it in his pocket. The explosion caused a severe burn to his leg. Otherwise, the circumstances surrounding the explosion are unclear. | Unknown | Unknown, although it seems that the man was carrying a coin in the same pocket. | Link |
| March 2023 | Jacksonville, FL | A vape battery caught fire in an overhead compartment on a Spirit Airlines flight, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing. Ten people were treated for injuries -- perhaps smoke inhalation -- which were not life threatening. | Unknown | The news report makes it sound as though a vaping device was inside someone's bag and was attached to a portable battery pack for charging. It's possible that the battery overheated because it was being charged in an enclosed environment. It's also possible that the portable battery pack caused the vaping device to overheat because the charging current was too high. | Link |
| February 2023 | Melville, NZ | A disposable vaping device exploded and started a fire in a recycling truck. The vaping device was incorrectly dropped in a recycling bin. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | The recycling truck may have had a compactor that caused damage to the vape. | Link |
| December 2022 | San Luis Obispo, CA | A vaping device exploded and caused a fire in a college dormitory. No injuries were reported, and it doesn't seem as though the fire caused severe property damage. Otherwise, the news report contains little information. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| November 2022 | Arkadelphia, AR | According to a lawsuit, a man's vaping device exploded in his pocket as he was walking into a restaurant. The explosion caused damage to the man's leg and genitals. The news source provides no other information. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| July 2022 | Bedale, UK | A man's vape exploded in his mouth when he was using it. The man suffered severe oral damage including lost teeth and tongue trauma. | The man was using a DEJAVU hybrid mechanical mod and an ELeaf Melo 3 tank. | Unknown. The Eleaf Melo 3 looks like its center pin may not protrude enough to be used safely with a hybrid mod, but it's hard to be certain. If that wasn't the cause of the explosion, it's possible that the battery in the mod wasn't capable of supporting a sub-ohm load. | Link |
| June 2022 | Erie, PA | A young man's spare vape battery exploded while he was carrying it in his pocket. He suffered severe burns to 90 percent of his leg. | Not applicable | Unknown, but it's possible that the battery shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| May 2022 | Tampa, FL | A man's pod mod began hissing and eventually erupted into violent flames while he was carrying it in his pocket. The man suffered severe third-degree burns to his leg. | The device was a SMOK G-Priv Pro Pod, and the battery was from the Hohm brand. | Unknown. Possibly the battery's wrapper was damaged, and the battery's casing touched something metal inside the mod. | Link |
| January 2022 | Dorset, UK | According to the local fire brigade, two separate home fires occurred in this neighborhood in the span of just a week due to vape batteries that exploded while they were being charged. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| January 2022 | Codsall, UK | A vape mod exploded shortly after a battery was installed in it. The explosion caused a severe fire, resulting in heavy home damage. Two teens were treated for smoke inhalation, and one of the teens also suffered burns to his arm. | Unknown, but the picture shows an Aspire band around the tank. | According to the local fire department, the fire was caused because an incompatible battery was installed in the vape mod. It's possible that the battery was a lower-amperage cell intended for another type of device such as a flashlight. | Link |
| December 2021 | Newton-le-Willows, UK | A woman's spare vape battery began to overheat and glow orange while she was carrying it in her pocket. She was treated at a local hospital for second-degree burns. | Not applicable | Most likely, the battery shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| July 2021 | Winnipeg, Canada | According to a lawsuit filed in July 2023, a man's vaping device exploded while being carried in his pocket, causing severe burns to his leg. | The device was a Voopoo Drag X, a regulated pod mod designed to use a single 18650 battery. | Unknown. Possibly the battery had a damaged wrapper and touched something metal on the inside of the device, causing a short. | Link |
| March 2021 | Perth, Australia | A man's spare vape battery exploded while he was carrying it in his pocket. The explosion caused severe burns and required extensive treatment, including skin grafts. | Not applicable | The man stated that the explosion happened after he put spare coins in the same pocket. The battery shorted after touching other metal objects. | Link |
| March 2021 | Rochford, UK | A battery exploded inside a vaping device. Judging from the news report, it seems as though the fire only caused minor home damage. No injuries were reported. | Unknown, but it looks like a dual-battery regulated mod. | Unknown. It seems that no one using the device at the time, and the report also doesn’t specify whether the device was being charged. | |
| January 2021 | Western Australia | A vape battery exploded while being carried in a mine worker’s pocket. The explosion caused severe burns to the man’s leg. | Not applicable | Most likely, the battery shorted after touching other metal objects in the man’s pocket. | Link |
| November 2020 | Nottinghamshire, UK | A spare vape battery exploded while being carried in a man’s pocket. The explosion caused severe burns to the man’s leg and hand. | Not applicable | Most likely the battery shorted after touching other metal objects. | Link |
| September 2020 | Wichita, KS | A vaping device exploded inside a car. The fire caused major damage to the car. No other information is included in the report. | Unknown | Possibly the car was parked in direct sunlight, and the battery overheated. | Link |
| September 2020 | Herrin, IL | A vape battery exploded while being stored in a man’s closet. The explosion caused a house fire, although the report seems to suggest that the damage wasn’t major. | The device pictured seems to be a dual-battery Sigelei Snowwolf mod, but it seems like the actual device isn’t relevant to this explosion. The device is pictured next to a SMOK Nord, so it sounds like the man was storing many old vaping devices in his closet. | The report makes it seem as though the device was being stored on a high closet shelf and fell off of the shelf. The fall dislodged the batteries in the device, causing them to touch other metal objects and short circuit. | Link |
| February 2020 | Dubai, UAE | A man’s vaping device exploded while it was in his pocket. He was immediately engulfed in flames and suffered very severe burns. | Unknown, but it looks like a dual-battery regulated mod. | Unknown. Possibly one or both batteries had damage to their wrappers, causing their metal enclosures to touch one another or to touch a metal component on the inside of the mod. | Link |
| February 2020 | Fayetteville, NC | A vape battery exploded in a charger. According to the report, the battery wasn’t actually being charged at the time, perhaps indicating that the charge cycle was complete. The battery’s owner was home and was able to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. The explosion caused minor home damage. | Not applicable | Unknown | Link |
| December 2019 | Yucaipa, CA | A vaping device – or possibly spare batteries for a vaping device – exploded inside a woman’s backpack, causing severe burns to her back. | Unknown. The article mentions a “vape pen” but only shows a pair of batteries. | Unknown. It’s possible that the woman was carrying her vape and her extra batteries in the same pocket of her backpack, and one of the batteries shorted after touching another metal item. | Link |
| October 2019 | Pennsylvania | A man's spare vape battery exploded while he was carrying it in his pocket. The explosion happened shortly after he put his keys in the same pocket. | Not applicable, but the battery was made by Sony. | The battery shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| September 2019 | Fresno, CA | A woman’s vaping device – or possibly the batteries for a vaping device – exploded while charging, starting a fire that caused a few thousand dollars in damage. The woman was home and called 911 when she noticed an unusual smell. Firefighters arrived quickly and put out the fire. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| Summer 2019 | London, UK | A man’s vaping device or vape battery exploded while it was in his pocket. The man sustained severe burns to his leg but, according to the report, did not require skin grafts. | Unknown | Unknown. According to the news report, authorities believe that the battery shorted when touching the man’s keys. So, it’s possible that the man was carrying both his vape and a spare battery – along with keys – in the same pocket. | Link |
| June 2019 | Crawcrook, UK | A man’s vaping device exploded in his pocket. He said that he heard a fizzing noise, and moments later, his pants were on fire. The incident caused severe burns. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| June 2019 | York County, PA | A man suffered second-degree burns when his vaping device exploded in his pocket. The explosion actually sent the device flying out of his pocket, which may have served to minimize the injury. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| June 2019 | Ely, NV | A vaping device exploded in the mouth of a 17-year-old boy while he was using it. The explosion shattered the boy’s jaw and caused severe burns and dental damage. | The news article mentions that the device was made by VGOD. | Unknown | Link |
| May 2019 | New Orleans, LA | A vape battery exploded while being carried in a man’s pocket. The man suffered extensive injuries and subsequently filed a lawsuit naming the battery’s manufacturer as the defendant. The resolution of the lawsuit is unknown. | Not applicable, but the battery was made by LG. | Unknown, but it is likely that the battery shorted after touching another metal object in the man’s pocket. | Link |
| April 2019 | Leeds, UK | A man suffered severe burns to his leg when his vape exploded in his pocket. The vape exploded after the man replaced the battery with a fresh battery that he had apparently purchased recently. | Unknown, although the article says that the device was made by KangerTech. The article also uses the phrase “vape pen,” suggesting that the device was a tube-style mod. | If the device was in the man’s pocket and not in use, the circumstances suggest that perhaps the battery had a damaged wrapper, and it shorted after touching the metal on the interior of the device. | Link |
| March 2019 | Victorville, CA | A vape exploded in a man’s pocket while he was celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with his family. The explosion caused horrible injuries, and the man required extensive medical intervention. | Unknown, but it looks like a dual-battery mechanical box mod. | Possibly the device overheated because the button was being held down while the device was being carried in its owner’s pocket. | Link |
| March 2019 | Murrells Inlet, SC | A man’s spare vape battery exploded while he was carrying it in his pocket. According to a lawsuit that was filed, the man suffered extensive injuries and would most likely require lifelong medical care. | Not applicable | It’s likely that the battery shorted after touching other metal objects. | Link |
| March 2019 | Gloversville, NY | A vape pen exploded in the pocket of a student at Gloversville Middle School. The student was taken to the hospital for burn treatment. No other injuries were reported. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| February 2019 | Queens, NY | An e-cigarette battery stored in a bag in an airliner's overhead compartment overheated and caught fire while the plain was on the tarmac. The passengers left the plane, and the airline offered assistance scheduling them for different flights. | Not applicable | Most likely, the battery shorted after touching other metal objects in the bag. | Link |
| February 2019 | Fort Bragg, NC | A soldier's e-cigarette battery exploded in the pocket of his pants. The article mentions a ball of flame and smoke spreading throughout the room but says that the solder escaped injury. | Not applicable | Most likely, the battery shorted after touching other metal objects in the man's pocket. | Link |
| January 2019 | UK | Professional golfer Will Hawksworth had his vape explode in the pocket of his jacket while he was driving. The explosion caused severe burns on his torso, and the resulting fire destroyed his car. | Unknown, although the batteries for the device were apparently made by Efest. | Unknown | Link |
| January 2019 | Fort Worth, TX | A man's mechanical mod exploded during use. The explosion severed an artery, caused a stroke and ultimately led to the man's death. The explosion occurred in the parking lot of a vape shop. The man had just entered the vape shop asking for help with the mod. The people working at the vape shop told the man that they either didn't sell mechanical mods -- or didn't sell that model of mechanical mod -- because of the inherent safety issues. | Unknown, but the article does confirm that the man was using a mechanical mod. | Unkown | Link |
| January 2019 | Mamaroneck, NY | A man's spare e-cigarette battery overheated and caught fire while being carried in his pocket. The man suffered burns to his leg and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. | Not applicable | The battery most likely shorted after touching other metal objects in the man's pocket. | Link |
| January 2019 | Canterbury, NZ | A woman's vape pen exploded on her kitchen counter. She had recently charged it but said that it wasn't connected to the charger at the time. The explosion resulted in no injuries but caused thousands of dollars in property damage. The vape shop that sold the device immediately initiated a recall of all similar devices sold around the same time. | It looks like a SMOK Stick X8. | Unknown. It's possible that the woman was charging the device with an overpowered wall adapter such as a mobile phone or tablet charger. However, a web search turns up a report of another SMOK Stick X8 explosion while charging. In that incident, the owner of the device confirmed that he was definitely using a 1-amp charger, which should supply the correct current. (Report, Video footage of report) | Link |
| January 2019 | Chicago, IL | A vaping device overheated and caught fire in a bag on an American Airlines airplane shortly after the airliner landed at O'Hare Airport. Flight attendants put out the fire. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| December 2018 | Belgrave, UK | A man's vaping device exploded while he was carrying it in his pocket. He sustained burns to his leg. | Unknown, but it looks like it could be a regulated box mod. | Unknown | Link |
| December 2018 | Katowice, Poland | A man's vaping device exploded in his pocket while he was walking with his wife and daughter. The man suffered severe burns to his leg and genitals, necessitating skin graft operations. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| November 2018 | North Port, FL | A man's vaping device exploded in his back pocket while he was at work. The report states that the man was airlifted to a hospital as a trauma victim, but it does not describe the extent of his injuries. | Unknown | Unknown. The report specifies that the man was at work and that the exploding vape was in his back pocket. It's possible that the device was a mechanical mod, and he inadvertently held the fire button down by sitting on it. | Link |
| November 2018 | Moraine, OH | A man was using a friend's vaping device when he felt the device become extremely hot. He pulled the device away from his face just as it exploded, damaging his front teeth. | Mechanical mod | The victim believed that he had somehow assembled the device incorrectly. | Link |
| November 2018 | Liverpool, UK | A man's vaping device exploded in his pocket while he was remodeling his home. The explosion badly burned his genitals, necessitating a skin graft to his scrotum. The man was described as being in constant agonizing pain. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| November 2018 | Philippines | A vaping device exploded in the face of a 17-year-old boy while he was using it. The boy suffered terrible facial injuries. | Unknown | Unknown, but the article specifies that the explosion occurred after he "recently" replaced the batteries in his device. It's also not known whether the device was a regulated or mechanical mod. | Original source removed and isn't available on archive.org |
| October 2018 | Liverpool, UK | A man's vape pen exploded next to his bed while it was charging. He and his girlfriend were sleeping at the time, and the explosion set their quilt on fire. The man's leg was burned in the incident. | Unknown | Unknown. It's possible that the vape pen was being charged with a mobile phone or tablet charger. | Link |
| October 2018 | Belgium | A vaping device exploded in a man's pocket while he was walking on the street. The explosion and resulting fire badly burned his leg and hand. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2018 | Lunenburg, MA | A man suffered terrible burns to his leg when three spare vaping batteries exploded in his pocket. | Not applicable | Most likely, the batteries overheated and exploded after touching each other or other metal objects in the man's pocket. | Link |
| September 2018 | Sarnia, Canada | A man's spare vaping batteries exploded in the pocket of his shorts. His leg was burned in the incident. | Not applicable | Most likely, the batteries shorted after touching other metal items in the man's pocket. | Link |
| September 2018 | Fort Worth, TX | A man's vaping device exploded in his pocket, starting a fire that badly burned his leg. The man also burned his hand while attempting to put out the fire. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| August 2018 | Scottsdale, AZ | A man's vaping device exploded in his pocket shortly after he got out of his truck. The resulting fire caused second- and third-degree burns to 40 percent of his leg. | Looks like a Kanger SUBOX or TOPBOX. | Unknown. Possibly the device's battery had a damaged wrapper, causing unintended metal-on-metal contact. | Link |
| August 2018 | Anaheim, CA | A man's e-cigarette -- or possibly a spare e-cigarette battery -- exploded in his pants while he was shopping at a local electronics store. The report states that the man was able to walk out of the store on his own, but he was seriously burned. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| August 2018 | Shevington, UK | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket. The resulting fire badly burned his legs. The man also burned his arm while removing the battery from his pocket and throwing it out a window. | Not applicable | Most likely, the battery shorted and caught fire after touching other metal objects in the owner's pocket. | Link |
| July 2018 | Long View, NC | A vape mod exploded in a man's face during use, causing serious injuries that required hospital treatment. At the time of the news report, authorities were not releasing further details. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| July 2018 | New London, CT | A vape pen explosion caused injuries to a man's face. Although it's likely that the explosion occurred during use, the report provides no further details. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| July 2018 | London, UK | A man's spare vaping battery exploded in his pocket, causing a severe burn and loss of skin. | Not applicable, but the battery was from EFest. | The battery most likely shorted after touching other metal items in the victim's pocket. | Link |
| June 2018 | Cleveland, OH | A spare vape battery exploded while being carried in a man’s pocket. The explosion caused large second- and third-degree burns on the man’s leg. | Not applicable. The article states that the battery was made by LG and that it was believed to be authentic. | Most likely, the battery shorted after touching other metal objects. | Link |
| June 2018 | Unknown | An insurance agency for the maritime shipping industry announced that a crew member experienced an explosion of a spare e-cigarette battery being carried in his coveralls. The man suffered severe burns to his leg. | Not applicable | The report stated that a short circuit occurred due to the battery touching keys being carried in the same pocket. | Link |
| June 2018 | West Des Moines, IA | A man's vaping device exploded in his pocket while he was sitting on his couch. The man suffered severe burns to his hand and leg. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| June 2018 | North Carolina | A man's e-cigarette battery shorted and caught fire in his pocket while he was driving home and pulling into his driveway. A burn on his leg was so severe that he required a skin graft. His face was also injured. | Not applicable | One battery shorted after touching spare change in the victim's pocket. The ensuing fire spread to the second battery. | Link |
| June 2018 | Calgary, Canada | Two e-cigarette batteries caught fire in the checked baggage area of a WestJet flight bound for Vancouver shortly after takeoff. The pilots were forced to circle back and land the plane. No injuries were reported. | Not applicable | The batteries may have overheated or expanded due to pressure changes. They may also have shorted after touching other metal objects in the bag. | Link |
| June 2018 | Machesney Park, IL | A woman suffered "significant facial injuries" when a vaping device exploded in her face. The explosion happened at a vape shop called The Vapor Shop Inc. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| May 2018 | Cordova, TN | A man’s e-cigarette exploded in his mouth while he was using it. According to a lawsuit filed by the man, the exploding battery ripped off a large chunk of flesh and damaged several teeth, requiring 65 stitches. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| May 2018 | Caledonia, MI | A young man's legs were burned due to a fire that started while he was carrying four spare vaping batteries along with some loose change in a pocket. | Not applicable | A battery shorted when touching spare change in the victim's pocket, starting a thermal runaway situation that spread to the other batteries. | Link |
| May 2018 | Saint Petersburg, FL | A man died in a house fire. Authorities said that the man had facial injuries suggesting that his vaping device had exploded near his face. It's uncertain whether the explosion or the resulting fire caused his death. When the story was published, the investigation was still ongoing. Police later confirmed that the e-cigarette explosion was the cause of the man's death; he died from a projectile wound to the head. | Unknown, but the news article includes a picture of the victim holding his vaping device. It looks like it could be a mechanical mod, but it's hard to say with certainty. | Unknown | Link, Link confirming cause of death |
| May 2018 | Essex, UK | Spare vaping batteries exploded and started a fire while being carried in a bag in the back of a car. The couple in the front of the car suffered scalp burns and singed hair. | Not applicable, but the batteries were made by Samsung. | Unknown; the article specifies that the batteries were being transported in plastic carriers. It's possible that not all of the batteries were being stored properly or that a battery overheated and started a chain reaction. | Link |
| April 2018 | Puyallup, WA | A woman’s vaping device exploded in her lap while she was driving her car. The explosion caused severe burns and required extensive medical care. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| April 2018 | Buffalo, NY | An e-cigarette exploded in the hand of an adult student after he/she took the e-cigarette out of his/her pocket. He or she evidently removed the device from his or her pocket because it felt hot. The report provides no further details. Perhaps the incident involved a high school student who was not a minor. | Unknown | Unknown | Original source removed and isn't on archive.org. |
| March 2018 | Stevensville, MD | A woman's mod exploded while she was removing it from her purse. The woman suffered first- and second-degree burns to several areas of her body and was treated in a local hospital. | Wismec Reuleaux RX200 | Unknown. This is not the first report of an explosion involving a Wismec Reuleaux mod. It is possible that damage to the battery wrappers caused unintended metal-on-metal contact. | Link |
| February 2018 | Houston, TX | A man's e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket while he was at work. He was treated at a local hospital for first- and second-degree burns on his leg and hand. | Not applicable. | Most likely the battery shorted after touching other metal objects in the man's pocket. | Link |
| February 2018 | Harris County, TX | A lawsuit filed in February 2018 alleges that a man's e-cigarette exploded while he was using it, causing shrapnel to lodge deeply in his throat. | Unknown, but the lawsuit claims that the battery was made by LG. | Unknown | Link |
| January 2018 | Angeles City, Philippines | An e-cigarette battery exploded in a mall, apparently while the e-cigarette was being worked on. The noise -- which sounded like a gunshot -- caused mall shoppers to panic and stampede. The stampeding shoppers broke a glass panel to improvise an exit from the mall. The stampede injured 10 people. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| January 2018 | Sykesville, MD | A man's vaping device exploded immediately after he installed a just-charged battery. The venting caused burns to 18 percent of the man's body. | Unknown | Unknown. If the battery exploded immediately after insertion in the device, it is possible that a damaged battery wrapper caused a short due to unintended metal-on-metal contact. | Link |
| January 2018 | Largo, MD | A bus had to pull over for an emergency stop when smoke began pouring out of a passenger's backpack. After preliminary investigations, authorities believed that the smoke was from an e-cigarette or e-cigarette battery that vented. The news report says that the device's owner was "possibly" burned. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| January 2018 | Glendale, CA | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded in his pants pocket as he was preparing to come home from work. The man's legs and genitals were severely burned. | Not applicable. The battery was made by LG. | Most likely the battery shorted after coming into contact with other metal objects in the man's pocket. | Link |
| December 2017 | Colorado | This one was sent to us by a reader named Timothy. His SMOK 22 vape pen exploded while charging from a wall outlet. The vape pen became a projectile, bouncing around the room but thankfully hurting no one. | SMOK 22 vape pen | The SMOK 22 doesn't include a wall adapter, so Timothy used what he had available. After months of use, he noticed that the device appeared to become hotter during use than it once did. It is possible that the battery failed from the stress of being charged at too high a rate for several months. It is also possible that the SMOK 22 failed to stop charging when the charge cycle was complete. | Photo Evidence |
| December 2017 | Denizli Province, Turkey | An e-cigarette exploded while being charged overnight. Firefighters had to rescue the residents of the home, who fled to a balcony to escape the fire. Although no injuries were reported, the home suffered extensive damage. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| December 2017 | Halliwell, UK | A charging e-cigarette battery caught fire. The fire spread to a mattress and clothing. A man fractured his ankle falling down stairs while trying to exit the building. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| December 2017 | Davison, MI | A man's e-cigarette batteries exploded while being carried in a pocket. The batteries were inside a regulated box mod. The man suffered severe burns. | Looks like a Sigelei Fuchai 213. | Unknown. Possibly one of the batteries had a tear in the wrapper near the positive terminal, causing a short against the battery post of the mod. A short caused by a damaged battery wrapper could potentially cause the battery to vent even inside a regulated mod. | Link |
| December 2017 | Pearl City, HI | A man's device exploded in his face when he attempted to use it. The man lost several teeth, necessitating stitches and oral surgery. | CoilART Mage, unknown tank and battery | Special thanks to Hawaii News Now for consulting with us on this one. The CoilART Mage is a hybrid mod, and the victim wasn't using the RDA included with the mod. Per the reporter handling the story, the victim simply connected a tank that he thought looked good with the mod. According to the victim, the battery in the CoilART Mage exploded on his first attempt to use the device. It therefore seems certain that the tank didn't have a protruding center pin. The tank's pin and threading touched the battery simultaneously, causing a short. | Link |
| November 2017 | Mansfield, UK | An e-cigarette battery exploded while being charged from a wall outlet. Although the fire caused damage to a carpet and wall, it seems as though the fire was extinguished before major damage occurred. | eGo e-cigarette from an unspecified maker. | Most likely, the wall adapter was faulty or charged the battery at too high a rate, causing it to overheat. | Link |
| October 2017 | Redmond, OR | An e-cigarette exploded in the mouth of a 17-year-old boy while he was using it. The boy suffered injuries to his face and hands. He nearly lost an eye. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2017 | Bavaria, Germany | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his pocket, causing burns to his leg and hand. The man was airlifted to a clinic for treatment. | Unknown | Unknown | Original source removed and isn't available on archive.org |
| August 2017 | London, UK | An e-cigarette exploded in a bag at Euston Railway Station. Noticing smoke coming from the bag, the police ordered the station's evacuation. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| August 2017 | Boulder City, NV | An e-cigarette battery exploded in a woman's purse during a city council meeting. The woman suffered minor burns to her leg but did not require treatment. | Not applicable | The battery most likely shorted after touching other metal objects in the purse. | Link |
| August 2017 | Pierce County, WA | A man's e-cigarette battery exploded while being carried in a pocket. The man suffered terrible burns to his leg and intended to sue for compensation. | Not applicable | The battery most likely shorted after touching other metal objects in the man's pocket. | Link |
| July 2017 | Missouri | A man's vaping device exploded in his face while he was using it, causing severe injuries to his teeth, jaw and mouth. A jury awarded the man more than $2 million in compensation in 2023. | Unknown. The article mentions a Tobeco Super Tank Mini, but that's a vape tank and not a device. | According to the lawsuit, the battery in the device was mislabeled as supporting a 38-amp current when it only supported a 10-amp current. | Link |
| July 2017 | West Fargo, ND | A man's e-cigarette began to smoke while charging. While the man looked for gloves so he could safely move it outside, the battery caught fire. The man burned his finger in the incident. It took him two days to ventilate the fumes from his basement. | The picture depicts an eGo e-cigarette. | Unknown. It's possible that the battery was being charged with a fast-charging adapter, but the news report doesn't describe the circumstances in detail. | Link |
| July 2017 | Austin, TX | A man's e-cigarette -- or e-cigarette battery -- exploded in his pocket while he was attending a car show. The man suffered second- and third-degree burns to his leg. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| July 2017 | Bridgnorth, UK | A man's e-cigarette or e-cigarette battery exploded while the man was at home. The man suffered burns to his legs, but the report suggests that he was not badly injured. The report has no further details about the incident except that the local fire department was called to the scene. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| July 2017 | Minsk, Belerus | A woman's e-cigarette or e-cigarette battery exploded in her purse while the woman was talking through a subway station. The woman quickly dropped her purse, and a security guard stamped out the fire. It appears as though no one was injured. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| June 2017 | Plainfield, IL | A man experienced dual e-cigarette battery explosions when spare batteries carried in both of his pants pockets caught fire. The man experienced significant burn injuries to both of his legs and racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in hospital bills. | Unknown | It is likely that the batteries shorted after coming into contact with each other or other metal objects. | Link |
| June 2017 | Wigan, UK | A woman's e-cigarette exploded during charging. The explosion started a fire that caused minor home damage. | The e-cigarette that exploded was an eGo e-cigarette. The brand name was 88Vape. | The e-cigarette's owner was charging the battery with an unapproved wall adapter. 88Vape does not sell a wall adapter for its e-cigarettes. | Link |
| June 2017 | Moscow, Russia | An e-cigarette exploded in a 17-year-old boy's mouth while he was using it. The boy's jaw was badly fractured. The fracture extended all the way to his eye socket. The boy will require extensive plastic surgery to repair his face. | Unknown | According to the article, the boy made modifications to his vaping device. It is possible that the modifications caused an unsafe load. | Link |
| May 2017 | Andover, UK | A woman's spare e-cigarette battery exploded in her pocket while she was driving. The woman sustained terrible burns to her hand and leg. | Not applicable | Most likely the battery shorted after touching other metal objects in the woman's pocket. | Link |
| May 2017 | Manchester, UK | An e-cigarette exploded in a man's face while he was using it in his bedroom. The explosion triggered a fire that caused home damage. The e-cigarette's owner suffered injuries to his face, eyes and nose. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| April 2017 | Coeur d'Alene, ID | An e-cigarette exploded while charging near a bed. One of the home's occupants quickly put out the fire and was not injured. | Looks like an eGo or variant. | Unknown. Possibly the charger was incorrect, or the battery failed to stop charging when the charge cycle was complete. | Link |
| April 2017 | Hull, UK | A man felt his e-cigarette becoming extremely hot in his pocket while he was sitting. He threw the e-cigarette across the room, and it exploded shortly thereafter. The heat burned a hole through a couch. The explosion knocked out a section of a wall, and a flying piece of the e-cigarette hit the owner's leg and created a large bruise. The e-cigarette's owner also suffered an acid burn on his back. | Mechanical mod. | Most likely the fire button was held down while the mod was in its owner's pocket. | Original source removed and isn't available on archive.org |
| April 2017 | Atlantic Highlands, NJ | A man's spare e-cigarette batteries exploded in his pocket when they touched some metal keys. The man was flown by helicopter for treatment in a burn unit. | Not applicable | The batteries shorted after touching other metal objects. | Link |
| April 2017 | Las Vegas, NV | An e-cigarette battery exploded in a man's pocket as he was walking through a Walmart. His leg and hand were burned. | Not applicable | The man was carrying a pair of batteries in his pocket. Possibly the batteries shorted after touching each other or another metal object. | Link |
| April 2017 | Las Vegas, NV | An e-cigarette battery exploded in the pocket of romance writer Scott Hildreth at McCarran International Airport. Hildreth's leg and hand were badly burned. | Not applicable | Possibly the battery shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| April 2017 | Tempe, AZ | An e-cigarette exploded in the lap of a truck driver. The driver jumped out of the truck, and the truck crashed into a tree. The driver was treated for burns from the fire and broken bones from jumping out of the moving truck. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| April 2017 | Franklin, MA | A man's e-cigarette exploded shortly after he used it. The man put the fire out himself. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| April 2017 | Tarrant County, TX | An e-cigarette exploded in the bedroom of a 15-year-old boy. The boy was not burned, but he was treated for smoke inhalation. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| April 2017 | Midlothian, TX | A spare e-cigarette battery exploded in a man's pants pocket. The man's leg was so severely burned that he feared he would never be able to walk normally again. | Not applicable | Possibly the battery shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| March 2017 | Windsor Locks, CT | An e-cigarette exploded in a bag while a passenger was waiting to check in at Bradley International Airport. Airport staff put the fire out. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| March 2017 | Miami, FL | An attorney's e-cigarette exploded in his pants pocket as he was preparing to make his closing arguments in an arson case. The attorney was not injured. | Unknown | Unknown. The attorney was apparently carrying several e-cigarette batteries at the time, so it is possible that one of them shorted after touching another battery or other metal objects. | Link |
| March 2017 | Verbena, AL | A man's e-cigarette or spare e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket. | Unknown. The article seems to imply that the battery was inside the e-cigarette when it exploded, but only the battery is pictured. | Unknown | Link |
| February 2017 | Derbyshire, UK | An e-cigarette exploded in a man's pocket, causing severe burns to his leg and arm. According to the victim, the e-cigarette's tank was removed, and the device was turned off. | The article mentions an "iJoy Looks" e-cigarette. We believe that they may mean the iJoy Limitless LUX, which is a dual-battery regulated mod. | The protection features in a regulated mod should prevent something like this from occurring -- especially if the device is turned off. Possibly one of the batteries had a damaged wrapper, touched metal on the inside of the device's battery sleeve and shorted. | Link |
| February 2017 | Calgary, Canada | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket, badly burning his leg. Doctors expected that the man would require skin grafts to recover fully. | Not applicable | The battery shorted after touching spare change in the victim's pocket. | Link |
| February 2017 | Oldbury, UK | An e-cigarette exploded during charging, starting a fire that caused severe home damage. No injuries were reported. | Looks like an eGo e-cigarette. | From the picture, it appears that the e-cigarette was probably being charged with a mobile phone charger -- perhaps an iPhone charger. | Link |
| February 2017 | Burlington, CT | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his pocket, badly burning his leg. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| February 2017 | Paris, TX | A man's e-cigarette exploded while he was using it. He was hospitalized for injuries to his face and hand. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| February 2017 | Blackpool, UK | An e-cigarette battery exploded after charging. The e-cigarette's owner noticed a foul smell coming from the battery during charging and wrapped the battery in a dressing gown. It exploded and started a fire shortly after. The owner put the fire out himself. | Looks like an eGo e-cigarette. | Unknown | Link |
| January 2017 | Lyndhurst, NJ | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, triggering a small home fire that was quickly contained. According to the report, a similar issue occurred in the same neighborhood in December 2016. | Unknown | In both incidents, fire officials said that the e-cigarettes that exploded were being charged with Apple mobile phone chargers. | Link |
| January 2017 | Pocatello, ID | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his mouth while he was using it. He lost several teeth in the explosion and ended up with bits of shrapnel stuck in his mouth and throat. | Looks like a mechanical mod. | Unknown | Link |
| January 2017 | Magnolia, TX | A man was sitting with his family when his e-cigarette suddenly exploded. One piece of the e-cigarette hit the man in the stomach, and another piece hit him in the face. The man lost teeth and sustained a broken jaw. | Unknown, but the battery was a purple EFest battery. | Unknown | Link |
| January 2017 | Waterloo, WI | A lawsuit claims that a woman suffered severe burns on her legs, hips and buttocks when two lithium-ion batteries for an e-cigarette exploded while being carried in her pocket. | The lawsuit names the Liion Wholesale battery brand. | The batteries most likely shorted after touching each other or other metal objects in the victim's pocket. | Link |
| January 2017 | Massachusetts | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his face while he was using it. The man was taken to a local hospital, where he received 12 stitches in his face. | It looks like a mechanical mod. | Unknown | Link |
| January 2017 | San Diego, CA | A man's spare e-cigarette batteries exploded in his pocket while he was relaxing at home. The man was hospitalized for the treatment of second-degree burns. | Not applicable | The batteries most likely shorted after touching each other or other metal objects in the man's pocket. | Link |
| January 2017 | Santa Rosa, CA | A man left several e-cigarettes and e-cigarette components on the bed in a motel room before leaving to use the restroom. Shortly after, a fire started on the bed. No injuries were reported, but the fire caused extensive damage to the motel room. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| 2016 | Florida | A man's vape battery exploded while he was carrying it in his pocket. The explosion caused severe burns. The man sued the company that sold the device and was awarded $15 million in damages. | The battery was apparently made by a manufacturer called eCigRus in China and sold by Vapor Life LLC in Florida. | Possibly the battery shorted after touching other metal objects. | Link |
| December 2016 | Little Rock, AR | A "battery pack" for an e-cigarette vented and started a fire in a passenger's carry-on luggage during a flight from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Indianapolis. Flight attendants put the fire out. The plane landed safely in Little Rock, and the airline sent a replacement plane to complete the flight. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| December 2016 | New York, NY | A man's two spare e-cigarette batteries vented and exploded in his pocket while he was driving. The man was burned in the incident. | Not applicable | Most likely, one or both batteries shorted after touching one another or other metal objects. | Link |
| December 2016 | Burnaby, Canada | A man's vape pen exploded in his mouth while he was using it. The explosion broke his jaw and teeth, fractured fingers and burned his face and legs. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| December 2016 | Petoskey, MI | A battery overheated and burned while charging. Although the battery was destroyed, it was moved to safety before it could start a fire. No injuries were reported. | Aspire variable-voltage battery. | Unknown. The battery could have been connected to incompatible charging equipment, or it could have failed to stop drawing power when the charge cycle was complete. | Link |
| December 2016 | New Brunswick, NJ | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his pants pocket while he was at work. The man planned to sue the vape shop -- Gorilla Vapes -- at which he purchased the e-cigarette and LG, the maker of the battery. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| December 2016 | Fresno, CA | A man used his e-cigarette on a public bus until he was asked to put it away. He put the e-cigarette in his pocket. Shortly after, the battery vented and exploded. The man was treated for minor injuries. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| December 2016 | Putnam County, NY | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his pocket. His thigh was badly burned, necessitating hospital treatment. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| December 2016 | New Brunswick, Canada | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded in his jacket pocket while he was sitting at his desk. He was burned on his leg and abdomen. | Not applicable | The battery shorted after touching the man's car keys. | Link |
| December 2016 | Leeds, UK | A man's e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket. The flames vented very close to a baby's stroller. The man was treated on the scene for minor injuries. | Not applicable | The battery most likely shorted after coming into contact with other metal objects. | Link |
| November 2016 | Toulouse, France | A spare e-cigarette battery caught fire in a nightclub owner's jacket pocket. The man received burns to his abdomen, and his jacket partially melted. | Not applicable | The battery's owner believes that the battery probably exploded after coming into contact with change in his jacket pocket. | Link |
| 2016 | Stratford, CT | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his mouth while he was using it. The suffered dental damage and burned his hand. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| November 2016 | New York, NY | An e-cigarette exploded in a man's pocket at Grand Central Terminal. The explosion was captured by a security camera, and the video spread rapidly online. | Unknown | News reports state that the man had customized his e-cigarette to deliver a higher voltage than normal. The customization most likely resulted in the e-cigarette operating outside the battery's capabilities. | Link |
| October 2016 | Berlin, NJ | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket. The man's leg was badly burned. Months later, the burns were still bleeding and required skin grafts. | Not applicable | Most likely, the battery shorted after coming into contact with other metal objects. | Link |
| October 2016 | Wales, UK | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his pocket while he was sitting at a group table in a restaurant. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2016 | Ketchikan, AK | An e-cigarette battery exploded in a man's backpack on a passenger airplane. The plane was on the ground at the time. The explosion started a fire that caused minor damage to the plane, but no injuries were reported. | Not applicable | The battery shorted after coming into contact with the man's keys. | Link |
| October 2016 | Wirral, UK | An e-cigarette caught fire during unattended charging in a home. Although the e-cigarette's owner escaped severe injury, nothing in the home was salvageable except a single family picture. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2016 | South Shields, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, filling an office and corridor with smoke and forcing the evacuation of a market. No one was injured. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2016 | Orlando, FL | An e-cigarette exploded in a man's pocket on the Hogwarts Express ride at Universal Orlando. A fireball shot toward other passengers, burning a man and a girl. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2016 | Wilmington, DE | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket while he was at a food truck festival. The resulting fire caused extensive burning, necessitating surgery and skin grafts. | Not applicable | The battery most likely shorted after touching other metal objects in the man's pocket. | Link |
| October 2016 | Phoenix, AZ | A man's e-cigarette battery exploded while he was carrying it in his pocket. The battery burned the man's leg. According to the report, the fire was so hot that it left no remnants of the battery. | Not applicable | Unknown. According to the report, the man wasn't carrying anything in his pocket except the e-cigarette battery. | Link |
| September 2016 | Bushnell, IL | A man's e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket while he was driving home. The main sustained substantial burns to his groin and hand. He filed suit against the vape shop that sold him the battery, alleging that the vape shop failed to inform him of proper battery storage procedures. | Not applicable | Possibly the battery shorted after touching other metal objects. | Link |
| September 2016 | Southern CA | A vaping device exploded in a mother's purse while she was riding with her toddler in the back of a car. The toddler was badly burned and was still undergoing skin graft operations in 2018. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| September 2016 | Staten Island, NY | A woman's e-cigarette exploded in her purse while she was at a post office. She burned her hands in the incident. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| September 2016 | Calloway County, MO | A woman's e-cigarette exploded inside her car, starting a fire that badly damaged the car. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | Apparently, the e-cigarette was firing on its own. We have seen reports of this happening, for example, because e-liquid leaked inside the body of an e-cigarette. It seems that the owner didn't -- or wasn't able to -- turn the e-cigarette off. | Link |
| September 2016 | Freehold, NJ | A woman's e-cigarette exploded while inside her handbag, which she had placed on the counter at a mall store. The explosion created a large puff of black smoke, but no one was hurt. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| September 2016 | Haralson County, GA | A man's e-cigarette batteries exploded while he was carrying them in his pocket. From the report, it sounds as though he was actually carrying three batteries together. When one exploded, it started a chain reaction that consumed the other two batteries. The man's hand and leg were burned. | Not applicable | The batteries most likely shorted after touching one another. | Link |
| August 2016 | Beaufort County, SC | A man's Sony VTC5 battery exploded while being carried in his pocket. The explosion severely burned the man's thigh, necessitating surgery and skin grafts. | Not applicable | The battery most likely shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| August 2016 | Spokane, WA | A spare battery exploded in the pocket of a teen while he was vaping with friends. His leg and hand were burned. | Not applicable | The battery most likely shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| August 2016 | Nefyn, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, starting a fire that destroyed the upper floor of a property. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| August 2016 | Bristol, UK | A man's e-cigarette battery exploded while he was carrying it in his pocket. His leg was badly burned. | Not applicable; battery appears to be an EFest. | Unknown | Original source removed and isn't available on archive.org |
| June 2016 | Arlington, TX | A woman's e-cigarette battery exploded while she was carrying it in her pocket. The woman suffered severe burns in the incident and filed a lawsuit against the vape shop that sold her the battery. | Not applicable | The battery may have shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| June 2016 | Chelmsford, MA | A man's e-cigarette exploded during charging at a Radisson hotel. The e-cigarette's owner was burned on the hand. | Looks like an ELeaf iStick 50. | Unknown | Link |
| June 2016 | Kirkland, WA | A man's e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket, causing burns. | Not applicable | The battery may have shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| June 2016 | Tustin, CA | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his mouth while he was using it. The explosion shattered his teeth and left a piece embedded in his mouth that had to be removed surgically. | Mechanical mod. | According to the e-cigarette's owner, the battery was nearly dead. It may have vented because it was over-discharged. | Link |
| June 2016 | Muskogee, OK | A man's e-cigarette exploded while he was using it. According to the report, he suffered vision damage and permanent disfigurement as a result of the explosion. | Unknown. The e-cigarette was sold by a local store called E-Ciggeez, but no further information was given in the report. | Unknown | Link |
| May 2016 | St. Joseph, KS | man's e-cigarette or spare battery exploded in his pocket while he was working at an Olive Garden restaurant. He was burned on his inner thigh and groin but elected to treat the injuries himself. | Unknown. The article only mentions the battery, but a photo appears to picture a mechanical mod. | Unknown | Link |
| May 2016 | Plymouth, MA | An e-cigarette exploded in a man's hand, burning his hand and fingers. The man received treatment at a local hospital. No other information is included in this report. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| May 2016 | Margate, UK | A man's e-cigarette exploded shortly after he inserted the battery. He was treated for burns. | Unknown | According to the report, the battery was inserted backwards. | Link |
| May 2016 | Albany, NY | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his face while he was using it. The e-cigarette destroyed several of the man's teeth, tore a hole in his tongue and burned his hands. | It looks like a mechanical mod. | Unknown | Link |
| May 2016 | Bolton, UK | An e-cigarette battery exploded while charging in a boy's bedroom. Firefighters were called to put out the blaze. Although there was significant damage to the home, no one was injured. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| May 2016 | Albertville, AL | An e-cigarette overheated while being carried in the pocket of a 10th grade student. He removed the e-cigarette and placed it on a desk. Shortly thereafter, it exploded and burned another student. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| May 2016 | Ogden, NY | An e-cigarette exploded in the face of a 17-year-old high school student while he was using it. His hand and throat were badly injured. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| May 2016 | Albuquerque, NM | A man's spare e-cigarette batteries shorted and caught fire in his pocket while he was driving. He received severe burns to his leg, thighs and buttocks. | Applicable | The batteries shorted after coming into contact with one another or the man's mod, which was being carried in the same pocket. | Link |
| April 2016 | Seattle, WA | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his pocket while he was walking to his car. He received burns that later became infected, requiring multiple hospital treatments. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| April 2016 | Irvine, CA | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his hand, starting a fire and badly injuring his face. The explosion caused him to lose his left eye. | It looks like a mechanical mod. | Unknown | Link |
| April 2016 | Fulton County, GA | Two spare e-cigarette batteries exploded in a man's pocket, burning his leg. | Not applicable, but it looks like the batteries were purple EFest batteries. | Unknown, but the batteries may have shorted after touching each other and/or other metal objects. | Link |
| April 2016 | Colorado Springs, CO | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket, causing severe burns to his leg. The man said that he was carrying keys and change in the same pocket. He wasn't aware of the potential for danger. The incident was filmed by a security camera in the vape shop where the explosion occurred. | Not applicable | The battery shorted after coming into contact with other metal objects. | Link |
| April 2016 | Paso Robles, CA | An e-cigarette exploded in a 17-year-old's mouth while he was using it in a car. He lost several teeth in an incident that also left him with a hole in his tongue and requiring breathing assistance. As of the date of the report, he was also unable to speak. | Unknown | Unknown. Some have suggested that the teen might have been using an unregulated or homemade mod, but we have found no reports to confirm those statements. | Link |
| April 2016 | Windsor, Canada | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket during a meeting. The man suffered severe burns necessitating skin grafts and the removal of some muscle. More than a year later, he was still applying ointment to the burn three times daily. | Not applicable, but the battery was made by LG. | Possibly the battery shorted after touching other metal objects in the man's pocket. | Original source removed and isn't available on Archive.org |
| April 2016 | Long Island, NY | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded while he was carrying it in his pocket. He was burned on his hand and thigh. | Not applicable, but the battery was distributed by EFest. | Unknown, but the battery may have shorted after coming into contact with another metal object. | Link |
| April 2016 | Oswego, IL | A car fire destroyed a Chevrolet Trailblazer in a Wal-Mart parking lot, spreading to a second car before firefighters arrived. Authorities believe that the fire was started by a charging e-cigarette battery. | Unknown | Unknown, but the USB cigarette lighter adapter might not have been the correct one for the e-cigarette. | Link |
| April 2016 | Queens, NY | A woman's spare e-cigarette battery exploded in her pocket while she was driving, badly burning her leg. The woman's attorney claims that nothing else was in her pocket at the time. She plans to file suit against LG, the battery's maker. | Not applicable, but the battery was made by LG. | Unknown. Ordinarily, a battery might short after coming into contact with other metal objects, but the woman claims that nothing else was in her pocket at the time. | Link |
| April 2016 | Oklahoma City, OK | A spare e-cigarette battery vented and caught fire while being carried in the pocket of a 19-year-old. The man was carrying spare change in the same pocket. His leg and hand were badly burned. | Not applicable | The battery shorted after coming into contact with another metal object. | Link |
| April 2016 | Denpasar, Bali | A man's e-cigarette exploded while he was using it, burning his chest and causing damage to his eyelid and fingers. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| April 2016 | Idaho Falls, ID | A man's e-cigarette exploded while he was carrying it in his pocket. He claims that nothing else was in his pocket at the time. The resulting fire burned his leg and hand, requiring a skin graft. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| April 2016 | Brooklyn, NY | A 14-year-old boy had an e-cigarette explode in his hand during a demonstration at a mall kiosk. It seems that the explosion happened immediately after the kiosk's employee connected a new attachment to the device the boy was holding. The device immediately exploded, causing gruesome injuries to the boy's face and hands. He was blinded in one eye. The report alleges that the kiosk marketed e-cigarettes to children and gave them business cards to distribute. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| April 2016 | Crawley, UK | A man's e-cigarette overheated and exploded while charging, starting a small fire that damaged his desk. The e-cigarette's owner was home and extinguished the fire before it could spread. The vape shop that sold the device alleges that the man triggered the explosion intentionally by connecting the e-cigarette to the wrong charger so he would return it. Nevertheless, there is photo evidence that an explosion did take place. | Kangertech TOPBOX | Unknown | Original source removed and isn't available on archive.org |
| April 2016 | Derbyshire, UK | An e-cigarette overheated and caught fire while charging, starting a house fire that was already extinguished by the time firefighters arrived. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | According to the report, the e-cigarette wasn't being charged with the correct charger. | Original source removed and isn't available on archive.org |
| April 2016 | Phoenix, AZ | A man's e-cigarette exploded while he was carrying it in his back pocket. The explosion severely burned his leg. He will require surgery and is expected to have a lengthy recovery period. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| April 2016 | Glasgow, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging from a wall outlet in a pensioner's home, causing minor home damage. No injuries were reported. | The e-cigarette that exploded was an eGo e-cigarette, apparently purchased overseas while the owner was on vacation. | Unknown, but it seems likely that the wall charger being used was incompatible with the battery. | Link |
| April 2016 | Kalamazoo, MI | A man claims that his e-cigarette exploded in his hand while he was using it, causing severe burns. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| March 2016 | Bear, DE | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded while he was carrying it and another battery in his pocket. A lawsuit is currently pending. | Not applicable | One battery most likely shorted after touching the other battery or another metal object. | Link |
| March 2016 | Las Vegas, NV | A spare e-cigarette battery exploded while being carried in a man's pocket. He suffered third-degree burns to his leg. | Not applicable | Unknown, but the battery may have shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| March 2016 | Arroyo Grande, CA | A man's e-cigarette exploded while he was using it. The incident caused burns to his face and required surgery to repair the damage. A lawsuit is pending. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| March 2016 | Keene, NH | An e-cigarette exploded in a restaurant shortly after being removed from its owner's pocket. The e-cigarette burned the owner's hand and face and also hit a nearby customer. No serious injuries were reported. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| March 2016 | Dunfermline, UK | An e-cigarette exploded, most likely after being overcharged but not while it was in use. No one was injured, but there was minor damage to the home. | Looks like a VIP Photon (eGo) e-cigarette. | It seems the e-cigarette's owner charged the device with an iPhone charger, which charged the battery at too high a rate. According to the article, the e-cigarette wasn't plugged in or in use when it exploded. | Link |
| March 2016 | Atlanta, GA | An e-cigarette caught fire in a passenger's carry-on bag on a Delta plane, delaying the flight. The plane was still on the tarmac, and the fire was extinguished without damage to the plane or injury to the passengers. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| March 2016 | New Hanover County, NC | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his face while he was using it. He lost his left eye, received severe burns and required more than 50 stitches on his face. | Mechanical mod with rebuildable atomizer. | The e-cigarette exploded during the user's first puff of the day. This might be a situation in which the rebuildable atomizer had a short or the battery was damaged. | Link |
| March 2016 | Fulton, MD | A man was admitted to a local hospital with burns after his e-cigarette exploded in his pocket. No other information is given. | Unknown. The article contains a picture, but the device could be almost any tube mod. | Unknown | Link |
| March 2016 | New Orleans, LA | An e-cigarette battery exploded while being charged. The owner was able to wrap the battery in a towel and throw it out of a window before anyone was injured. | Not applicable, but the picture shows an Efest purple battery. | Unknown | Link |
| March 2016 | Kitchener, Canada | An e-cigarette caused a car fire while the owner was inside the vehicle. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Details about the incident are scarce; it's unknown whether the e-cigarette was in use or being charged. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| February 2016 | Vancouver, WA | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his pocket while he was walking to a friend's house. His leg was severely burned and required skin grafts. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| February 2016 | Naples, FL | A woman's e-cigarette exploded when she attempted to vape inside a parked car. She suffered facial injuries including first- and second-degree burns and a lost tooth. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| February 2016 | Castle Rock, CO | An e-cigarette exploded in the pants pocket of a 17 year old boy while he was at school. The explosion caused severe burns to his leg, requiring multiple surgeries. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| February 2016 | Anglet, France | A woman felt her e-cigarette overheat as she was using it while in her car. She threw the e-cigarette into the car's passenger seat, where it exploded and started a fire. The fire burned the woman and spread to three other cars. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| February 2016 | Owensboro, KY | A man's spare e-cigarette battery vented while being carried in his pocket, spraying flames and severely burned his right thigh. The explosion happened as the man was reaching for change to pay for snacks at a convenience store. | Not applicable | It seems that the battery shorted after coming into contact with other metal objects. | Link |
| February 2016 | Woodley, UK | A woman's e-cigarette exploded in her handbag while she was driving. The woman sustained burns to her legs. | From the picture, the e-cigarette appears to be an unregulated mod with its fire button positioned on the side. | Because this device doesn't seem to have a recessed or locking fire button, it would appear that being jostled in the handbag resulted in the fire button being held down, over-discharging the battery. | Link |
| February 2016 | Rochester, NH | An e-cigarette exploded while connected to a wall charger and left overnight. Only minor property damage was reported. | Appears to be an ELeaf iStick 50. | According to the news article, the owner wasn't charging the e-cigarette with the charger supplied by the manufacturer. | Link |
| February 2016 | Seattle, WA | A 24 year old man was driving when he attempted to use his e-cigarette and heard a "static-y sound." In a fraction of a second, the battery vented and the e-cigarette exploded, causing severe injuries to the user's hand and arm. The same article provides a few details regarding three additional Washington e-cigarette explosions that have taken place since 2014. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| February 2016 | Salt Lake City, UT | A man's spare e-cigarette battery vented and exploded in his pocket. He suffered second-degree burns to his leg and hand. | Not applicable | The explosion occurred after the man put spare change into his pocket, shorting the battery. | Link |
| February 2016 | Tamworth, UK | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded while he was carrying it in his pocket. His leg was severely burned, and he will require a skin graft. | Not applicable | The battery may have shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| February 2016 | Phoenix Metro, AZ | A man's spare e-cigarette batteries exploded in his pocket while he was driving. He suffered burns to his hand and leg. | Not applicable | The batteries may have shorted after touching each other or another metal object. | Link |
| February 2016 | Bury, UK | At a roller rink, an e-cigarette battery exploded while in a man's pocket, causing severe burns to his leg. The flames narrowly missed his young son. | Unknown | Unknown. The article contains a picture of what appears to be just a battery, which would appear to mean that the man was carrying a spare battery that shorted when it touched another metal object. However, in the article the man is quoted as saying "the battery wasn't even on," which much suggest that it was inside an e-cigarette at the time of the explosion. | Link |
| February 2016 | Gainesville, FL | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his mouth while he was using it. The man had used the mod for two months without incident prior to the explosion, which knocked out four of his teeth and caused severe oral bleeding. In 2018, a Florida jury found the vape shop that sold the battery liable for the damages and awarded the victim $2 million. | Unknown, but the battery was made by EFest. | Unknown | Link |
| February 2016 | Aylesham, UK | Two spare e-cigarette batteries exploded while being carried in a man's pocket. His leg was severely burned in the incident. | Not applicable | At the time of the explosion, the man was carrying two spare e-cigarette batteries in his pocket. The explosion was most likely caused by the batteries rubbing against each other or touching another metal object. | Link |
| February 2016 | Surprise, AZ | A man put a pair of spare e-cigarette batteries into his pocket before driving. While he was on the road, the batteries vented and exploded. He received burns to his hand and leg and required a skin graft. | Not applicable | The batteries most likely shorted from touching each other or another metal object. | Link |
| February 2016 | Missoula, MT | An e-cigarette exploded during use, causing severe oral damage. A dentist who witnessed the injury described it as resembling a bullet hole. No other information is given. | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| February 2016 | Lyndhurst, OH | An e-cigarette battery exploded while being carried inside the pocket of an office worker's lab coat. The battery's owner was not injured. | Not applicable | The battery probably shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| February 2016 | Splendora, TX | A spare e-cigarette battery exploded in a man's pocket while he was driving, giving him a first degree burn on his leg. The explosion set the man's clothes on fire and caused damage to a rental vehicle. | Not applicable | The battery probably shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| February 2016 | Wichita, KS | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket. The man suffered burns to his leg and hands. | Not applicable | The battery shorted after touching other metal items in the man's pocket. | Link |
| January 2016 | Spokane, WA | A woman's e-cigarette exploded in her mouth while she was watching television at home. The injury severely damaged her face, necessitating extensive reconstructive surgery. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| January 2016 | Manchester, UK | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his pocket. He was in a bar at the time, so there were several witnesses. The man's hand and leg were severely burned. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| January 2016 | Unknown | A unregulated box mod exploded in a vape shop immediately after a battery was installed. The device wasn't in use, and no atomizer was connected to the mod. | Tuglyfe clone. | Unknown | Link |
| January 2016 | Glasgow, UK | An e-cigarette exploded when its owner pressed the fire button, burning his hand. | The e-cigarette that exploded was a Cherry Bomber, an unregulated box mod using parallel 18650 batteries. Clones of this mod also exist. | Unknown. It looks like the man was using a rebuildable atomizer, so his coil may have had a short. However, searching online turns up allegations that this mod may have some design faults. | Link |
| January 2016 | Cologne, Germany | A man's e-cigarette exploded while he was in a vape shop. According to the report, he was there to purchase a new battery and atomizer. The battery exploded immediately when he tried using the two new components in his e-cigarette. | Unknown | Unknown. Given that the explosion was immediate, it's possible that a hybrid mechanical mod was being used with a tank that didn't have a protruding center pin. | Link |
| January 2016 | Los Angeles, CA | An Air Force veteran had an e-cigarette explode while he was using it. The man sustained burns to his face and shoulder. The explosion happened after the e-cigarette's owner put in a new battery. He pressed the fire button a few times, and nothing happened. The e-cigarette exploded when he held it near his ear to hear whether the atomizer was firing. | The device appears to be a mechanical mod with a rebuildable atomizer. | Unknown. The atomizer might have had a short, or the battery might not have been able to handle the load. | Link |
| January 2016 | Englewood, FL | An e-cigarette exploded during use. The owner suffered cuts to his right eye and burns to his chest and leg. His jaw was wired shut, and several of his teeth were wired to stay in place. | Unknown, but the picture appears to show a mechanical mod. | Unknown. The e-cigarette's owner said that he had used the device many times without incident. However, the picture does show what appears to be a sub-ohm tank. It's possible that a hybrid mod was being used with a tank that didn't have a protruding center pin. | Link |
| January 2016 | White House, TN | An e-cigarette exploded while in the pocket of a teenager working for Dunkin' Donuts. He suffered third degree burns to his thigh and stomach, requiring a skin graft. | IPV3 box mod. | The mod was missing its back cover. The owner was carrying it in the same pocket with his keys, which evidently touched a battery and caused a short circuit. | Link |
| January 2016 | Lethbridge, Canada | An e-cigarette exploded during use, badly burning a teenager's face and shattering some of his teeth. | Wotofo Phantom mechanical mod | Unknown. The Wotofo Phantom has both hybrid and standard top caps available, making it possible to use the mod in a dangerous fashion by combining a hybrid top cap with a tank or atomizer that doesn't have a protruding center pin. However, the device's owner claims that he didn't modify any aspect of the e-cigarette. | Link |
| January 2016 | Honolulu, HI | An e-cigarette exploded in the checked baggage area of a Hawaiian Airlines plane during a flight from Oahu to Maui. The pilot was able to put the fire out and complete the flight. Although e-cigarette batteries are not allowed in checked baggage on flights, the passenger was not charged with a crime. | Unknown | Unknown. In all, at least 26 incidents have occurred with e-cigarettes exploding or catching fire on planes since 2009. Most commonly, these devices have failed because of short circuits or because their fire buttons were held down inadvertently. | Link |
| January 2016 | California | A man's e-cigarette battery exploded when he was carrying it in his pants pocket. The resulting injuries were so severe that the man required multiple surgeries and skin grafts. | Not applicable | The explosion may have occurred because the battery shorted after touching a metal object. | Link |
| January 2016 | Salford, UK | A young woman's e-cigarette exploded when she attempted to use it, causing severe damage to her eyelid. She required surgery and stitches. | Tugboat mod or clone. The battery that exploded was a purple EFest battery. | Unknown. The woman's own device wasn't working, so she put the battery into her partner's device to troubleshoot. That's when the explosion occurred. Nothing else is known about the device or its configuration. | Link |
| January 2016 | Windsor, CA | An e-cigarette exploded in a 15 year old boy's mouth when he attempted to use it. The explosion caused severe injuries and resulted in the loss of several teeth. | Unknown | According to the report, the boy modified his e-cigarette. However, the exact nature of the modification is unknown. | Link |
| January 2016 | Jackson County, IN | An e-cigarette exploded while a truck driver was using it. The explosion injured the driver's face. In the process, he lost control of his truck, causing it to hit a guardrail. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| January 2016 | Northwich, UK | A man's e-cigarette exploded next to his bed while being charged overnight. His arm and face were severely burned. | ELeaf iStick | Unknown | Link |
| January 2016 | Ladera Ranch, CA | Two e-cigarette batteries exploded after touching keys that a 19 year old shop worker was carrying in the same pocket. The explosion blew the batteries several meters down the market aisle and injured the man's leg. | Not applicable | The batteries exploded upon coming into contact with another metal object. | Link |
| January 2016 | Colorado Springs, CO | A man's e-cigarette battery vented and exploded in his pants pocket while he was getting dressed. According to the article, the battery was "inside of his e-cigarette." The article also mentions another five cases in which the University of Colorado Burn Center treated patients following e-cigarette explosions. | Unknown | Unknown | Original source removed and isn't available on archive.org |
| January 2016 | Moultonborough, NH | A man's e-cigarette exploded while being carried in his pocket, causing severe burns that required multiple surgeries and skin grafts. At the time of writing, the man is suing the manufacturer of the e-cigarette and the store that sold it to him for damages. | According to the article, the vape was made by Kangertech. | Unknown | Link |
| January 2016 | Royersford, PA | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his face while he was using it. The man filed a lawsuit in November 2017 seeking compensation for his injuries. | The man was using a The Rig V2 mod along with a Praxis Spitfire tank and an MXJO 18650 battery. | Judging from pictures found online, the center pin of the Praxis tank doesn't extend far enough from the threading for the tank to be compatible with hybrid mods. Most likely, the tank's pin and threading touched the top of the battery simultaneously and caused a short. This is not the only report of The Rig mod exploding. Forum Thread | Link |
| January 2016 | Shropshire, UK | An e-cigarette exploded in a man's mouth while he was using it. The man suffered dental damage and burns and required multiple surgeries to his hand. | Knight mod or clone | Unknown | Link |
| 2016 | Philippines | A man claims that the batteries in his unregulated box mod vented and exploded shortly after it was installed. At the time, no atomizer was connected and the mechanical mod was not in use. His girlfriend was nearby and was burned in the incident. | Pawn box mod with two LG 18650 batteries. | Unknown | Link |
| 2015 | Omaha, NE | An e-cigarette exploded in a man's mouth while he was using it. The explosion broke the roof of his mouth and knocked out multiple teeth. He had borrowed the e-cigarette from a friend. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| December 2015 | Quincy, MA | An e-cigarette exploded during charging at a local business. According to the report, the e-cigarette exploded moments after being connected to the charger. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| December 2015 | Gulfport, FL | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his pocket. The man was burned in the incident and was treated in a local hospital. | Possibly a Joyetech eVic Supreme. If this report is true, it is notable because it would be the first confirmed report of a regulated mod that exploded for a reason other than incorrect charging. | Unknown | Link |
| December 2015 | Kelso, WA | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his face while he was using it during a smoke break at work. He required emergency oral surgery. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| December 2015 | Pismo Beach, CA | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his hand immediately after he pressed the fire button. Apparently, he was using a device given to him by the manager of a local vape shop along with a Kennedy rebuildable atomizer purchased at the same shop. The man sustained injuries to his hands, face and eye. | Unknown | Possibly a short circuit caused by a faulty coil or an incompatible attachment connected to a hybrid mod. | Link |
| December 2015 | Oklahoma | An e-cigarette exploded in a young man's face while he was adding e-liquid. A piece of shrapnel hit his head, causing him to require stitches. | It appears that the man was using a mechanical mod. The article suggests that the components of his device might have been purchased from multiple sources. | Unknown | Link |
| December 2015 | Ogden, UT | An e-cigarette exploded in a man's face while he was using it on Christmas morning. Although no no one was reportedly injured, the resulting fire caused severe damage to the home. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| December 2015 | Clovis, CA | An e-cigarette exploded while being stored in a 17 year old boy's pocket, causing severe burns to his leg. The explosion apparently occurred spontaneously while he was sitting in class. | According to the article, the e-cigarette was made by SMOK. It is unknown whether the mod was regulated or mechanical. | Unknown | Link |
| December 2015 | Grand Rapids, MI | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket. Loose change touched the battery's positive and negative ends, causing the battery to vent and explode. The man sustained second- and third-degree burns in the incident. | Not applicable | The battery shorted after touching other metal objects. | Link |
| December 2015 | Unknown | A battery exploded in a mechanical mod while the device was in use. The device's owner received a bruise but was otherwise unharmed. | Unknown mechanical mod. | The device's owner stated that he was using a battery with damage to the wrapper and that he had attempted to repair the damage with nail polish. Possibly the nail polish didn't insulate the battery, leading to a hard short. | Link |
| December 2015 | Huntsville, AL | A man's spare e-cigarette batteries exploded in his pocket while he was driving. The man's leg was severely injured. He filed a lawsuit against the vape shop where he allegedly purchased the batteries. | Not applicable | The batteries most likely shorted after touching each other or other metal objects. | Link |
| November 2015 | Bohemia, NY | A lawsuit filed in 2017 alleges that 30-year-old Thomas Gangi died after his e-cigarette exploded in his face. According to the lawsuit, the explosion drove shrapnel into Gangi's brain and started the fire that ultimately killed Gangi. | Unknown, but the defendants named in the lawsuit include SMOK, Kangside Technology and Anker Technology. | Unknown | Link |
| November 2015 | Bentonville, AR | An e-cigarette exploded in a man's face when he attempted to use it. According to the article, the explosion occurred the first time the man had ever tried to use the device. Little remains of the mod, so it is difficult to say what caused the explosion. | Sigelei Fu Chai mechanical mod. | Unknown | Original source removed and isn't available on archive.org |
| November 2015 | Colorado Springs, CO | A man's e-cigarette exploded during use, causing a broken neck, facial fractures, shattered teeth and oral burns. | Reportedly, the e-cigarette was made by Kangertech. However, pictures found online make it appear as though the e-cigarette was actually a mechanical mod -- the tank is from Kanger, though. | Unknown. Although reports cite the e-cigarette as the thing that exploded, the pictures appear to show a broken tank on an otherwise intact e-cigarette. It isn't known what might cause an e-cigarette tank to explode, let alone with such destructive force. | Link |
| November 2015 | Cape Coral, FL | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his pocket, severely burning his leg. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| November 2015 | Hollywood, FL | An e-cigarette caught fire while charging on a bed. The e-cigarette's owner was saved by her fiancee, who heard or saw some sign of the impending explosion and moved her to safety before it occurred. The home sustained minor damage. | Eleaf iStick 50 | Unknown | Link |
| November 2015 | Columbus, NE | A man's e-cigarette exploded while he was trying to use it. He thought his battery was dead, so he put in another one. The e-cigarette exploded while he was holding it near his ear to find out whether it was firing. The man nearly lost his ear. | The device looks like a mechanical mod. The battery is a purple EFest battery. | Unknown | Link |
| November 2015 | Newport Beach, CA | A man heard his e-cigarette make an unusual sound while he was using it in bed. He pulled the e-cigarette from his face shortly before the battery vented and exploded. His hand was badly burned. | It looks like a mechanical mod with a rebuildable atomizer, but the specific model is unknown. | Unknown | Link |
| November 2015 | Exmouth, UK | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket, causing third-degree burns to his leg and both arms. | Not applicable | The man was carrying the battery in the same pocket as some loose change, which may have caused a short. | Link |
| November 2015 | Washington County, PA | An e-cigarette battery exploded while charging in a moving vehicle, causing some damage to the vehicle and burning both occupants. | Unknown | Unknown. The charging equipment looks different from anything we've seen before, but it might be the correct equipment for this device. | Link |
| November 2015 | Gopeng, Malaysia | A man's e-cigarette exploded while he was using it. The mouthpiece flew off when he pushed the fire button, cutting his lip. He required six stitches to repair the damage. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2015 | Brookline, NH | A woman's e-cigarette exploded in her face when she attempted to use it. The woman filed a lawsuit nearly two years later against the company that sold her the e-cigarette, seeking compensation for medical bills and pain and suffering. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2015 | Malaysia | An e-cigarette caught fire during a flight on a Boeing 737-800. It was being carrying in a passenger's pocket. The passenger sustained minor injuries, but the fire didn't spread. The flight reached its destination. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2015 | Bakersfield, CA | An e-cigarette exploded in a man's face while he was using it. He suffered damage to his mouth and lost part of his index finger. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2015 | Wichita, KS | An e-cigarette exploded in a man's hand. According to the e-cigarette's owner, he heard a sizzling sound upon installing the battery. He held the device to his ear and listened. The e-cigarette exploded, burning his hand and causing minor home damage. | Looks like a mechanical mod. | Unknown. It sounds as though the device fired automatically when the owner installed the battery, so the device may have had a design flaw. Alternatively, the battery may have had a damaged wrapper, causing a short that bypassed the fire button. | Link |
| October 2015 | Springfield, PA | An e-cigarette or spare battery came into contact with loose change in a high school student's pocket, causing the battery to vent and explode. The student suffered minor burns. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2015 | Wyandotte, MI | An e-cigarette exploded in a man's hand while he was using it. The explosion caused minor home damage and burned his arm and abdomen. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2015 | Naples, FL | An e-cigarette exploded while a man was using it, causing severe burns to his face, neck and lungs. His injuries were so severe that he had to be placed in a medically induced coma to alleviate pain. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2015 | Webster, NY | A lawsuit filed in January 2018 alleges that a man suffered painful burns and scarring when his mechanical mod suddenly exploded during use. | Smoke-E-Mountain mechanical mod and LG HG2 battery. | Unknown | Link |
| August 2015 | Bettws, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, launching across a room and setting a bed on fire. No one was injured. | Unknown | The vape was being charged with an incompatible third-party charger. | Link |
| August 2015 | Cardiff, UK | Firefighters rescued two people and a dog from a home that was on fire. The home's residents suffered from smoke inhalation. The fire was thought to have been caused by an e-cigarette charger. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| July 2015 | Cobb County, GA | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his face while he was using it. He was left with severe burns, dental damage and a hole in the roof of his mouth. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| July 2015 | Miramar Beach, FL | An e-cigarette exploded in a man's face while he was using it. Emergency crews performed advanced lifesaving measures at the scene, and the e-cigarette's owner was said to be in critical condition. | The e-cigarette appears to be a mechanical mod with a sub-ohm tank system. | Unknown | Original source removed and isn't available on archive.org |
| May 2015 | Unknown | A battery vented and exploded inside a hybrid mechanical mod. Although there was minor home damage, the e-cigarette's owner wasn't seriously injured. | SMPL hybrid mechanical mod. | The battery shorted because it was being used in a hybrid mechanical mod with an attachment that did not have a protruding center pin. | Link |
| May 2015 | Nantes, France | An e-cigarette exploded in the hand of a young man as he was using it. According to the report, he heard a whistling noise and pulled the e-cigarette away from his mouth. It exploded and injured his hand shortly thereafter. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| April 2015 | Runcorn, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging. The e-cigarette's owner had left the home briefly, allowing the fire some time to spread before firefighters extinguished it. The home's kitchen suffered extensive fire damage, but no one was hurt. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| April 2015 | Little Egg Harbor Township, NJ | An e-cigarette exploded while charging. The battery overheated after being charged with a wall charger for a mobile phone, which charged the battery at too high a rate. The damage to the home was minimal, and no one was hurt. | eGo variant. | The battery was being charged with an incorrect charger. | Link |
| April 2015 | Jupiter, FL | A spare e-cigarette battery exploded in a teacher's pocket, severely burning his leg. | Not applicable | The battery may have shorted after coming into contact with another metal object. | Link |
| March 2015 | Gates, NY | An e-cigarette battery exploded in a man's hand while he was using it. The body of the e-cigarette exploded like a pipe bomb, injuring the man's hand and causing minor home damage. | Looks like a mechanical mod. | Unknown. The article mentions a "nickel cadmium" battery, so the battery might not have been appropriate for vaping. However, we couldn't find a reference to a NiCd battery in any other article. | Link |
| March 2015 | Santa Ana, CA | A man's e-cigarette exploded during use. According to the article, he pulled the e-cigarette away from his face after hearing a noise, and the e-cigarette exploded shortly thereafter. His face and hands were burned. | From the picture, it appears as though the man was using a hybrid mod. In this design, the post of the atomizer directly touches the top of the battery. However, it seems that the man replaced the original atomizer with a different type of tank which isn't intended for use with hybrid mods. Most likely, the incompatible center post of the aftermarket tank caused the battery to short. | Incompatible tank used with hybrid mod. | Link |
| March 2015 | Arlington, TX | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket, causing severe burns to his legs and scrotum. | Not applicable | The battery may have shorted after touching another metal object. | Link |
| February 2015 | Ramona, CA | An e-cigarette exploded in a man's pocket while he was at a liquor store, causing burns and shattering store glass. Details are scarce, but the article does mention an "e-cigarette," not an e-cigarette battery. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| February 2015 | Joliet, IL | A man's spare e-cigarette battery exploded and engulfed his pants while he was carrying the battery in his pocket. The man sustained injuries and filed suit against the vape shop that sold him the battery. | Not applicable | Possibly the battery shorted after touching other metal objects in the man's pocket. | Link |
| February 2015 | Los Angeles, CA | An e-cigarette exploded during use, injuring a former professional soccer player. He suffered a broken cheekbone and a concussion, and he was left with a hole in his cheek. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| February 2015 | Anaheim, CA | A teenager's e-cigarette exploded in his hand while he was using it. His hand was badly burned. Otherwise, the article provides no details. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| February 2015 | Yuba City, AZ | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, causing some home damage. The e-cigarette's owner burned his hands putting out the fire. | The e-cigarette that exploded was an EVOD-type vape from an unknown maker. | It seems that the battery was being charged with a mobile phone charger, which charged the battery at too high a rate. | Link |
| January 2015 | Toronto, Canada | A man claimed that his mechanical mod overheated while in his pocket, leading to thermal runaway. He threw his device down an alley while it was overheating, and it exploded shortly thereafter. | Stingray X mechanical mod or clone. | Possibly the mod's fire button was inadvertently being pressed in the owner's pocket, or the battery was being over-stressed. The mod's owner was using a rebuildable atomizer with a coil running at just 0.2 ohms. | Link |
| January 2015 | Sparks, NV | A high school was partially evacuated after an e-cigarette exploded in the gymnasium. No injuries are mentioned in the report. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| January 2015 | Oak Ridge, TN | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, causing a home fire. The home's occupant was present and extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported. | The vape that exploded was an eGo variant. | It seems likely that the e-cigarette wasn't being charged with the correct type of wall charger. | Link |
| January 2015 | Teynham, UK | A man's e-cigarette exploded while charging, setting his bed on fire. He put the fire out and was treated for burns on the scene. | Unknown | The vape's owner stated that he wasn't using the correct charger. | Link |
| December 2014 | Sheerness, UK | An e-cigarette exploded during charging, starting a fire that destroyed a family's clothing and Christmas presents. | Unknown | The vape's owner stated that he wasn't using the correct charger. | Link |
| December 2014 | Wigan, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, causing a fire. The home's resident was nearby and put the fire out before serious damage was caused. Apparently, his sister also experienced an e-cigarette explosion during charging. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| November 2014 | Tacoma, WA | A man was critically injured after suffering burns and smoke inhalation during a fire started by an e-cigarette explosion. Emergency workers performed CPR on the scene and transported the man to a hospital. Two other people were treated for less severe injuries, and the home sustained severe fire damage. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| November 2014 | Stoke-on-Trent, UK | An e-cigarette exploded and started a house fire while charging from a wall outlet overnight. The home's residents lost their dog in the fire. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| November 2014 | Rotherham, UK | An e-cigarette exploded after charging in a van for approximately one hour. The resulting fire destroyed the van. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| November 2014 | Isle of Wight, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, starting a small fire that the home's residents were able to extinguish. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2014 | Wigan, UK | An e-cigarette exploded during use. The e-cigarette's owner felt the device becoming overly hot and dropped it. The device, which apparently failed to vent the released gas, exploded and caused horrific injuries to the man's legs. | Mutant clone mechanical mod. | Unknown | Link |
| October 2014 | Sprowston, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging from a wall outlet, narrowly missing a toddler. | Looks like an eGo vape. | Unknown | Link |
| October 2014 | Wales, UK | An e-cigarette exploded shortly after being connected to a wall charger. The resulting fire caused heavy damage to the home. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2014 | London, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging in a school office. The school was evacuated, and no one was hurt. The room in which the e-cigarette was charging sustained some fire damage. | Unknown | The e-cigarette was being charged from a computer's USB port. According to officials, the wrong type of charging adapter was being used. | Link |
| September 2014 | Honolulu, HI | An e-cigarette exploded during unattended charging on a kitchen counter, resulting in a minor fire. No injuries were reported. | The picture depicts an eGo e-cigarette. | Either the battery failed to stop charging when the cycle was complete, or the wall charger was not the correct one for the battery. | Link |
| September 2014 | Limoges, France | An e-cigarette or e-cigarette battery exploded in a woman's pocket, causing severe burns to a woman's thigh and stomach. According to the report, it was the second e-cigarette explosion the woman had experienced; previously, another e-cigarette owned by her exploded while charging. | The e-cigarette that exploded was possibly a Joyetech eGo e-cigarette, but a representative of Joyetech France commented in the article that the device might have been counterfeit. | Unknown | Link |
| August 2014 | Liverpool, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, igniting an oxygen concentrator. The e-cigarette's owner died. Although the exact cause of death was uncertain when the article was published, authorities said that the oxygen concentrator appeared to be in use at the time of the explosion. | Unknown | According to authorities, the charger being used may not have been the one supplied with the e-cigarette. | Link |
| August 2014 | San Antonio, TX | During a cloud competition at the Vape Blast convention, a bystander felt his mod overheat and apparently dropped it. The mod exploded shortly thereafter, causing damage to the floor and ceiling. No injuries were reported. | Possibly a Mutant mechanical mod clone with modifications. | Unknown | Link |
| August 2014 | Orlando, FL | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, starting a fire that the home's resident was able to extinguish. | Unknown | The charger being used was incompatible with the battery, although it sounds as though the e-cigarette didn't include a wall charger. | Link |
| July 2014 | Ringwood, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, causing a nearby air horn canister to explode as well. Severe damage was done to the home. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | According to the article, the charger being used wasn't the one supplied with the vape. | Link |
| July 2014 | Oklahoma City, OK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, starting a large fire. No injuries were reported, but the fire caused extensive damage to the home. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| June 2014 | Leigh, UK | An e-cigarette exploded shortly after being plugged in to charge. The explosion started a blaze that virtually destroyed the home and left its residents homeless. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| May 2014 | Tenby, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, starting a fire that burned a young woman's legs, hands and abdomen. | eGo variant. | The e-cigarette was being charged with a mobile phone charger, which charged the battery at too high a rate. | Link |
| May 2014 | Birmingham, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, starting a fire that badly damaged a family's flat. No injuries were reported. | E-Lites cigalike. | The e-cigarette was being charged with an iPhone charger, which likely charged the battery at too high a rate. | Link |
| April 2014 | Aylestone, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging in a car. The explosion caused debris to fly toward the back of the vehicle, badly damaging the back seat. The car's owner put the fire out, but the car was badly damaged. | Unknown | The charger in use wasn't distributed with the e-cigarette. | Link |
| April 2014 | London, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, causing a fire that badly burned a London flat. A woman suffered smoke inhalation. | eGo variant. | The charger being used was reportedly incompatible with the e-cigarette. | Link |
| April 2014 | Stockport, UK | An oxygen supply at a hospital ignited, badly burning a woman. An e-cigarette and lighter were found at the scene, so it isn't clear whether the ignition was actually caused by an e-cigarette or not. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| April 2014 | Richmond, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging under a cash register in a pub. A woman was standing at the register when the explosion occurred. She sustained minor injuries, according to the report. | Unknown | The e-cigarette was being charged from a wall adapter. It seems as though the wall adapter was not supplied by the e-cigarette's seller. | Link |
| March 2014 | Medford, OR | An article describes two separate e-cigarette explosions happening in Medford within days of each other. Both incidents caused some home damage. Both occurred while the batteries were charging. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| March 2014 | Syracuse, NY | A oxygen machine caught fire at a hospital, burning a patient's face. The patient had an e-cigarette, which hospital staff believed might have caused the accident. However, there may not be conclusive evidence that the e-cigarette was to blame. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| March 2014 | Lompac, CA | An e-cigarette exploded while charging in a kitchen. Reported by television station KSBY; article now removed. | Unknown | Unknown | Original source removed and isn't available on archive.org |
| February 2014 | Colorado | An e-cigarette exploded while charging from a wall outlet. The explosion started a fire that caused minor home damage. | KGO e-cigarette, unknown manufacturer. | The charger wasn't the one included with the battery, although they were thread-compatible. | Link |
| February 2014 | Poole, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, causing a fire that forced the evacuation of 30 people. More than 40 firefighters were called to the scene to suppress the fire. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| February 2014 | Neath, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, causing a fire. The home's resident was nearby and extinguished the fire successfully. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| February 2014 | Birmingham, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging from a computer's USB port, causing mild burn damage to the home. No one was injured. | The e-cigarette that exploded looks like an eGo e-cigarette. The article cites the Kangertech brand, but it isn't clear whether the battery -- or just the tank, which wasn't used -- was from Kanger. According to the article, the e-cigarette was being charged for the first time. | Unknown | Link |
| February 2014 | Leicester, UK | An e-cigarette exploded, causing a home fire. The home's resident was able to put the fire out before firefighters arrived. No injuries were reported. | The e-cigarette that exploded looks like an eGo-type device. The e-cigarette's owner purchased it from eBay. Interestingly, according to the article, the e-cigarette wasn't charging or in use when it exploded. | Unknown | Link |
| January 2014 | Norway | A man's e-cigarette exploded while he was storing it in his shirt pocket. He had used the device without issue for around six months before the explosion. He was not hurt. | eGo Spinner; unknown brand. | Unknown | Link |
| January 2014 | Springfield, MO | An e-cigarette battery exploded while charging from a computer's USB port. The e-cigarette's owner extinguished the fire, sustaining burns to his foot and leg in the process. His mattress was also badly burned. | eGo variant. | Unknown | Link |
| December 2013 | Kirklees, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging from a computer's USB port, causing minor home damage. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| December 2013 | Salt Lake City, UT | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, causing minor home damage. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| December 2013 | Phoenix, AZ | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, starting a fire that caused moderate home damage. One resident of the home suffered smoke inhalation. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| December 2013 | Edinburgh, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging in an administrative building. The fire was quickly put out. No injuries were reported. | Unknown | The e-cigarette was charging through a computer's USB port, which apparently caused overheating by charging the battery at too high an amperage. Interestingly, the building already had a rule in place forbidding workers from charging e-cigarettes with their computers. | Link |
| November 2013 | Kootenai County, ID | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, sending shrapnel across the room. The home sustained burn damage to the floor, a wall and furniture. The residents of the home were awakened by a smoke alarm and extinguished the fire. The e-cigarette was charging from a computer's USB port. | eGo e-cigarette. From the video, it appears to be the Crown Seven brand. It isn't known whether the charger was included with the e-cigarette. | Unknown | Link |
| November 2013 | Warren, MI | An e-cigarette exploded while charging from a wall outlet, causing damage to the home's hardwood floor. The home's residents put the fire out. | The e-cigarette was an eGo e-cigarette sold by a company called Bull Dog. | The wall charger was not intended for use with the e-cigarette and probably charged the battery at too high a rate. | Link |
| November 2013 | Queen Creek, AZ | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, starting a fire. The e-cigarette's owner was nearby and was able to put the fire out before major damage was caused. | The e-cigarette was a Crown Seven Gladiator, a type of eGo e-cigarette. | The television program "3 On Your Side" researched the explosion and determined that the e-cigarette most likely wasn't being charged with the correct charger. | Link |
| November 2013 | Eugene, OR | An e-cigarette exploded during unattended charging in a vehicle. The explosion shot debris toward the back seat of the vehicle, causing severe damage. It seems that no one was injured. | The e-cigarette was an eGo. It's unknown whether the car charger came with the e-cigarette. | Unknown | Link |
| November 2013 | Colorado Springs, CO | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, starting a fire and burning a mattress. The home's occupant suffered some burns while putting the fire out. | The e-cigarette was sold by a company called "Foos." The company's owner offered to pay for the damages if his product was found to be at fault. The exact model is unknown. | Unknown | Link |
| November 2013 | Chesterfield, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, starting a home fire that became worse when a nearby aerosol can exploded. A 68-year-old woman was killed. | Unknown | Unknown | Original source removed and isn't available on archive.org |
| October 2013 | Darlington, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, starting a fire that caused moderate home damage. The home's resident also suffered from smoke inhalation. | eGo e-cigarette sold under the "Bellos" brand. | Unknown | Link |
| October 2013 | Valparaiso, FL | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, sending burning debris into a curtain, which caught fire. The residents of the house were home and able to move the burning curtain to a carport before major damage was caused. | eGo variant. | The picture appears to show two charging accessories taped together. It seems likely that the e-cigarette wasn't being charged with the correct equipment. | Link |
| October 2013 | Blaine, MN | An e-cigarette battery vented and exploded while being charged from a computer's USB port. The explosion caused burns to the carpet. | Unknown. It looks like an eGo e-cigarette, but the design is unusual and the article doesn't show the whole battery. | The article mentions that the battery might not have had overcharge protection. | Link |
| October 2013 | La Crosse, WI | An e-cigarette battery exploded while charging and shot 25 feet across the room. The e-cigarette was charging from a wall outlet. The explosion caused some damage to the carpet and walls. The residents were home and put the fire out quickly. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| October 2013 | Phoenix, OR | The same household experienced two separate e-cigarette explosions within a few days of one another. Both explosions occurred with the same type of e-cigarette. It's unknown whether the same charger was in use during both incidents. It's also unknown whether the charger was the one included with the e-cigarette. | The article cites the "Smokin T" brand. It's an eGo e-cigarette. | Unknown | Link |
| September 2013 | Vernon, CT | A spare e-cigarette battery exploded while being carried in a bag with other items. The owner reported no injury. | Not applicable | The battery may have shorted after coming into contact with other metal items. | Link |
| September 2013 | Maesycwmmer, UK | An e-cigarette exploded while in a car charger. The battery shot from the charger, badly burning the back seat and other areas of the car. The battery was being charged overnight, and no one was in the car. The fire didn't spread. | The e-cigarette was sold by Vapouriz, although the exact model is unknown. At the time of writing, Vapouriz does sell a car charger. However, it's unknown whether the charger being used was supplied with the e-cigarette. | The e-cigarette exploded during unattended charging, but the specific cause is unknown. | Link |
| September 2013 | Grant Park, GA | An e-cigarette battery vented and caught fire while charging from a computer's USB port. The e-cigarette's owner was home and put out the fire before severe damage was caused. | The e-cigarette was an eGo from a maker called "E-Hit." | Unknown | Link |
| September 2013 | Provo, UT | An e-cigarette exploded while charging in a car. A portion of the burning e-cigarette bounced off of the car's ceiling and landed in a child's car seat. The child sustained first- and second-degree burns. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| September 2013 | Binghamton, NY | An e-cigarette exploded during unattended charging. The home sustained severe smoke damage as well as water damage from the firefighting effort. | Unknown | Unknown | Link |
| August 2013 | Oklahoma City, OK | An e-cigarette exploded while charging, starting a small home fire. The home's resident was able to put the fire out. | eGo variant. | Unknown | Link |
| August 2013 | Cardiff, UK | An e-cigarette overheated and exploded while charging through a wall outlet, causing minor home damage. | The Vapouriz Gemini e-cigarette is cited in the report. | The charger being used wasn't the correct one for the battery. | Link |
| July 2013 | Tulsa, OK | An e-cigarette battery exploded while charging from a computer's USB port. The resulting fire caused minor damage to the home and set the computer on fire. No one was injured. | eGo-T vape. | Unknown | Link |
| June 2013 | Sherman, TX | An e-cigarette exploded while charging. The battery was connected to the USB port of a MacBook. The explosion burned the owner's hand. He and his wife were both treated for smoke inhalation. | The e-cigarette was an eGo e-cigarette. The seller was not mentioned in the article. It isn't known whether the e-cigarette was being charged via the threading or a pass-through port. | Unknown | Link |
| April 2013 | Oklahoma City, OK | An e-cigarette battery overheated and exploded while charging under a desk in the office at an apartment complex. One person was treated for inhalation. | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| April 2013 | Glendale, AZ | An e-cigarette exploded while being charged in a car. The explosion sent hot debris flying into the car's back seat, causing a fire that damaged the car. No one was injured. | eGo variant. | Unknown | Link |
| March 2013 | Corona, CA | A woman suffered burns to her legs, buttocks and hand when her e-cigarette battery exploded while connected to a universal car charger. She was awarded $1.9 million in a lawsuit brought against the e-cigarette's distributor, wholesaler and seller. | The e-cigarette was from VapCigs, which means that it could be either a 510 or eGo e-cigarette. | Although the VapCigs battery is a 4.2 volt battery, it seems that it was being charged with a 5 volt charger. It is unknown whether the car charger was also distributed by VapCigs. | Link |
| September 2012 | Unknown | A man claims that his KR-808 e-cigarette overheated and ignited while charging. Attached pictures show what appears to be an e-cigarette battery with a fried integrated circuit. | The e-cigarette's owner claimed that the battery was from the V2 Cigs brand, but the pictures show no logo. | Unknown | Link |
| March 2013 | Muskogee, OK | A woman claimed that a OneJoy disposable e-cigarette from NJOY exploded when it was removed from the package. According to her report, the explosion knocked a heavy salt lamp from a shelf and left her with hearing and eyesight issues. | NJOY OneJoy disposable e-cigarette. | Unknown. The story has since been removed from the Fox 23 website and only exists in archive form. The original news report did not contain a picture of the e-cigarette that was claimed to have exploded. | Link |
| February 2012 | Arizona | An e-cigarette exploded while charging from a computer's USB port. No injures were reported. | Joyetech eGo-T or clone. The e-cigarette's owner mentioned using a "no-name" charger. | Unknown | Link |
| February 2012 | Niceville, FL | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his face while he was using it. He was severely burned and lost teeth as well as a portion of his tongue. | Unknown. The article mentions a "cigar-sized" device, but apparently the device and nature of the explosion are unknown. | Unknown | Link |
| January 2012 | Greeley, CO | A man's e-cigarette exploded in his face while he was using it, causing severe injury when battery acid and flames shot toward his mouth, face and eyes. The man was hospitalized for eight days and sued the manufacturer of the e-cigarette for damages. | The e-cigarette was a Prodigy mechanical mod by Puresmoker. | The man was using his mod with the incorrect battery, or perhaps a pair of stacked batteries, purchased from Radio Shack. Following litigation, Puresmoker went out of business in 2013. It isn't certain whether Puresmoker was found liable for the explosion or simply couldn't handle the cost of litigation. | Link |
| November 2011 | Bristol, UK | An e-cigarette battery overheated while charging from a computer's USB port, melting the charger and starting a small fire. A fire alarm alerted the home's resident, who was able to extinguish it. | Totally Wicked Tornado battery and VLites charger. | Although the charger and battery were thread-compatible, the charger might have attempted to charge the battery to a higher wattage than it could handle. | Link |
| August 2011 | Arizona | An e-cigarette battery overheated and exploded while charging, blowing the cap off of the battery and burning some items. No injuries were reported. | eGo-T e-cigarette, unknown brand. | Unknown | Link |
| August 2009 | Minneapolis, MN | A shipment of about 1,000 Ruyan e-cigarettes caught fire on a FedEx MD-11 plane. The plane was on the ground at the time, and firefighters along with the plane's own fire suppression system were able to extinguish the fire before major damage was done to the aircraft. | The e-cigarettes being shipped were from a line called the Ruyan "RappE-Mystick." Researching this model online only turns up reports of the explosion. | Unknown | Link |
23 Comments
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About the Author: Jason Artman
Jason Artman founded eCig One after switching from smoking to vaping in 2010 and has been a professional writer and SEO consultant since 2007. His work has been featured on television and in leading publications, and it has been referenced in numerous peer-reviewed journals. Jason works with leading vape brands around the world to generate targeted web traffic and increase their revenue.
My INNOKIN I taste exploded this morning whilst on charge. I have
The explosion and resulting fire on Cctv.
The device was only 4 weeks old.
Marco,
Please send any information or evidence that you have to admin (at) ecigone.com. With your permission, we will publish it.
On the e-cig forums, “expert” members keep telling the noobs to get rid of their eGo batteries and upgrade to something “better” because most battery explosions involve eGos.
I’m sure if I direct them here to see some actual evidence that contradicts their confirmation bias, I’ll just get verbally abused
Hi SMH,
You are correct that confirmation bias can easily lead to incorrect conclusions about the nature of e-cigarette explosions. Although we believe that we’ve collected more information here about e-cigarettes that have exploded than what’s available anywhere else, the data is still incomplete because we rely on media reports — and people may not report e-cigarette explosions to the media if they’re minor.
It’s true that eGo e-cigarettes were once involved in a noticeable percentage of e-cigarette explosions. It has to be said, though, that eGo e-cigarettes were simply the most popular models at that time — just like a lot of e-cigarette explosions today happen during use — or happen to spare batteries — because many people now buy mechanical mods.
We have no evidence that eGo e-cigarettes are more likely to explode than any other type of e-cigarette. It is vitally important, though, to charge the batteries using the correct equipment.
How accurate the list you have provided in your article. I would considering using the statistic you have mentioned in your article but can you add a chart or a graph that to better understand the survey?
Hi Eugene, we will try to do something that makes the information a little easier to digest. We’ll drop you a line when we’ve done that.
I had a Kangertech mod explode two nights ago while vaping in my living room. Very frightening, it was like a rocket lite off in my hand. Burned two fingers badly. Could have been a lot worse I suppose. I manage to toss it in a glass bowl and get it outside. It was so hot that it shattered the glass bowl. I have pictures if anyone would like them.
Dave, we’re so sorry to hear that you’ve had an e-cigarette explode on you. If we have your permission to publish the information, please do send pictures and any other details that you have about the incident to admin (at) ecigone.com.
I had an LG 18650 explode in my pocket last year causing 3rd degree burns of my leg and hand, the battery was being transported in an empty pocket in the box it came in. The battery was discovered to be either faulty or fake (still ongoing) I find it a little disturbing that when you don’t actually know the “cause” of the explosions that you list it as “probably came in to contact with metal” Not all explosions are due to user error!
Rich,
We’re very sorry that happened, and we hope that your recovery is a speedy one. This list represents that first attempt anywhere online of making sense of hundreds of news reports that tend to be big on sensationalism and light on information. We’re certain that some e-cigarette and e-cigarette battery explosions aren’t the result of user error. When a news report provides no details, though — which happens the majority of the time — we try to hypothesize as to the most likely cause.
February 2017 — Blackpool, UK
Probable Cause: Possibly the battery failed to stop charging when the cycle was complete.
It actually looks to me, by the image in the source, that the person involved actually used a third party (likely cheap chinese product) charger. This is the most likely scenario in this case, since chinese manufacturers generally have no idea about our safety regulations in the UK, and ignore them entirely. There’s a youtube channel called Bigclive.com who does teardowns of electronics, including chargers, batteries and related stuff to find out how safe they are, if they perform as stated (and in the case of batteries, if they transfer the correct voltages at safe speeds etc.). He himself has found on numerous occasions that the chinese are notorious for making unsafe chargers.
And yeah, the one in the picture looks like a clone Apple charger – likely bought from ebay.
are you done collecting data?
We definitely are not done collecting data. Expect a major update to this list soon!
Good job. Did you see this one?
https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/electronic_cigarettes.pdf
Electronic Cigarette Fires and Explosions in the United States, 2009 – 2016
Lawrence A. McKenna Jr.
Research Group
National Fire Data Center
U.S. Fire Administration
July 2017
I am thankful for the information you shared this very helpful and keep spreading the effects of this things. You have done the great job!.
Thanks for your comment, William. We are currently hard at work on a major update to this list!
So are there any safe brands of vapes? I’ve been interested in getting one but I wouldn’t want the thing exploding on me. Just reading through this article scares me.
E-cigarette explosions are scary, Dre. The important thing to remember, though, is that you can eliminate virtually any possibility of an explosion or fire just by following the steps we’ve recommended in this article. Don’t use a mechanical mod, don’t carry bare batteries in your pocket and charge your batteries only with approved charging equipment. It’s also important to remember that the failure rate of vaping batteries is extremely, extremely low. We’ve found reports of a bit over 250 explosions so far. We believe that the number should be zero, so we’re doing our part by getting the information out there. Nevertheless, that number still pales in comparison to the many millions of vaping devices that have been sold worldwide.
Look at the 4 cases online at “hooiki” judiciary, search “JOCOR” as a party, they own Volcano Hawaii the cases are e-cigarette/battery explosions with injuries.
Why are the brands largely unknown? Are the big tobacco companies managing the poor PR?
How can I tell if a vaping device is a “mechanical mod” vs “hybrid mod”? What other types of “mods” are there? Is “mod” short for model or modification?
Tanks a lot for share this blog
August 24, 2016
Philadelphia Pa
[name redacted]
Emerson St in fox chase house fire. Died of Smoke inhalation as a result of vape explosion. He must have woke up because it seemed like he was almost out of his room when they found him unresponsive. I dont know if he was charging it but he was a tinker with mechanics type. Please do not charge anything when ur sleeping. I vape. Still. Its 2021. Almost 4 years later but im very careful. I use only joytech aio with security features and no removable battery. I bought a charge plug and only use the cord that vape comes with. Its not worth the risk for a stronger device or whatever your goal is.