City man burned when vape pen exploded in his pocket

A Sarnia man suffered burns to his leg and hand after the battery in a vape pen exploded in his pants pocket, Sarnia Fire Rescue says. The man was home on Sept.

A Sarnia man suffered burns to his leg and hand after the battery in a vape pen exploded in his pants pocket, Sarnia Fire Rescue says.

The man was home on Sept. 15 when the batteries in the pocket of his shorts exploded without warning, burning through the pocket and underwear and into his skin, public education officer Mike Otis said.

The man pulled off his shorts and the batteries continued to burn through the rug and carpet underpadding.

The man was treated for burns at Bluewater Health.

Arriving firefighters encountered a pungent haze in the home and did testing to ensure no dangerous chemicals were in the air.

It’s believed the explosion was caused by a reaction between the vape pen’s two batteries and the man’s keys.

Electronic cigarette batteries that come into contact with metal objects such as keys or loose coins have been known to cause such a reaction, Otis said.

The Ontario Fire Marshall was notified of the incident.