Was It Really an E-Cigarette Explosion? Maybe Not!

According to an ABC News report on November 23, “A worker at a wine shop on Central Pier said his e-cigarette exploded and caught fire in his pocket, burning both his hand and foot.”

This incident deserves careful examination. Christopher E. Lalonde, a psychology professor at the University of Victoria in Canada and an expert on e-cigarette hardware, offered the following insights:

“The device appears to be a Reuleaux RS200 vaping device. It is designed with various safety features to prevent accidents, such as reverse battery protection, automatic overheating cutoff, and battery venting. It is almost foolproof, so neither e-cigarettes nor mobile phones simply explode on their own—the issue lies with the batteries.

“The Reuleaux requires three 18650 batteries to operate. But the photo seems to show six batteries, along with various metal coins.”

“The three apparently intact brown batteries (far left, far right, and one still in the device) may be LG 18650s, which are the recommended batteries for this model.”

“I suspect the three silver, charred batteries were most likely the cause of the explosion. If the victim was carrying loose coins in his pocket, then the ‘e-cig’ may not have exploded at all—it was more likely the loose batteries.”

While Professor Lalonde expressed “every sympathy for the unfortunate victim of this incident,” he also provided valuable insight suggesting that, based on the photographic evidence, interaction between the batteries in the pocket was the likely cause of the explosion.

Lithium-ion batteries are essential for a wide range of electronic devices. Consumers should use them carefully and charge and store them safely.