E-Cigarette Hidden in Checked Luggage Catches Fire, Delaying Flight Takeoff

At Seattle-Tacoma Airport in the United States, baggage workers discovered a piece of luggage catching fire before a United Airlines flight took off while it was being loaded into the cargo hold. Firefighters arrived to put out the fire and found that the source was the lithium battery of an e-cigarette. No one was injured, and the aircraft involved was only slightly delayed.

According to U.S. media reports, the incident occurred on Sunday morning. The flight was scheduled to depart from Seattle for Houston. After receiving the report, firefighters arrived at the scene, extinguished the flames, and found that the source of the fire was an e-cigarette whose battery was connected to a portable charging device. The owner of the e-cigarette had already boarded the plane and was asked to disembark to claim the luggage, causing a slight delay to the flight's departure. United Airlines did not respond to the incident.

Local media reports did not mention the flight number or the number of passengers. However, flight information websites show that United Airlines had only one flight from Seattle to Houston on Sunday, flight UA1712, operated with an A320.

Because the lithium batteries in e-cigarettes carry a high fire risk, aviation authorities in both the United States and the United Kingdom prohibit passengers from placing them in checked baggage on commercial aircraft. They may only be carried in hand luggage, and they may not be used onboard. United Airlines also clearly states that e-cigarettes are prohibited in checked baggage. In 2014, an e-cigarette in a passenger's luggage also caught fire in the cargo hold of a Delta Air Lines aircraft, but it was discovered and extinguished in time before takeoff.