Photo of burnt iPhone 5c by the SeaCoast Online.
A bad day for iPhone 5c users
The iPhone 5c is a hot tech buy right now, but for one eight-grade girl in Maine, the phone was literally so hot that it caught fire in her back pocket. Reportedly, with her phone in her back pocket, she sat down at 7:40 am in her seat and students heard a “pop” sound in her pocket.
Smoke began coming from her clothing, according the SeaCoast Online, setting fire to her rear and causing second-degree burns on her body. Teachers covered her in a blanket while she attempted to remove her pants, as other students immediately ordered the boys out of the room so she could get out of her clothes.
According to the principal, the iPhone fell out of her pocket, appearing to be visibly burnt.
“It was something that I don’t think people had ever seen before. I’ve never seen anything like that,” he said.
This isn’t Apple’s first rodeo
Fire officials say they believe that when the student sat down on the phone, the battery “shorted out.” The girl was taken to the hospital and treated for “moderate” burns and released. Local authorities will continue to investigate the matter.
One official told USA Today, “People should obviously use caution when placing their phones in their back pockets so as not to crush them and cause an electrical short.”
Apple has had this problem before with smartphones catching on fire, but the cases have typically been found to be due to third-party accessories like batteries, or through unauthorized repairs. There is no word yet as to the fault of this particular handset fire.
As of publication, Apple has not responded officially to this story.
