Kerrie Roberts, a 26-year-old woman from New Jersey, had a terrifying experience last week when her rechargeable vape suddenly exploded in her coat pocket without any warning. She was sitting in her friend’s car, waiting to go out for dinner, when the incident occurred. Luckily, she was not harmed, but the incident has left her shaken and with a strong message for others.
Kerrie was excited about her night out with friends and decided to bring her vape along. However, little did she know that this decision would change her life forever. As she was waiting in the car, she suddenly heard a loud pop and felt her coat pocket heat up. Without any warning, her rechargeable vape had exploded, and the force of it caused her coat to catch on fire.
In a state of shock, Kerrie’s first instinct was to jump out of the car and remove her burning coat. Luckily, her friend was able to quickly douse the flames with a bottle of water, but the damage had already been done. Kerrie’s coat was burnt, and she was left with minor burns on her hand. Her friend’s car also suffered minor damages from the explosion.
“I couldn’t believe what had just happened. It felt like a nightmare,” Kerrie says as she recounts the incident. “I never thought my vape would suddenly explode like that without any warning. It’s a miracle that I didn’t get seriously injured.”
This incident is just one of many similar cases that have been reported in recent years. In fact, according to the US Fire Administration, there were an estimated 2,035 e-cigarette explosions and burn injuries in the United States between 2015 and 2017. This has raised concerns about the safety of these devices and the lack of regulations surrounding them.
Kerrie is now using her experience to warn others about the potential dangers of using rechargeable vapes. “I never thought this could happen to me, but it did. I want people to be aware and cautious when using these devices. It’s not worth the risk,” she says.
The incident has also caught the attention of local authorities, who are now looking into regulating the sale and use of rechargeable vapes. “We take this incident very seriously and will be working towards implementing stricter regulations to ensure the safety of consumers,” says a spokesperson for the New Jersey Health Department.
In light of this incident, the question arises – how safe are rechargeable vapes? While they are marketed as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, incidents like these raise concerns about their safety. It is crucial for manufacturers to conduct thorough safety tests and for governments to regulate the production and sale of these devices to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
As for Kerrie, she has learnt her lesson and has made the switch to a non-rechargeable vape. “I don’t want to take any chances with my safety. I’ll stick to a disposable vape from now on,” she says.
Kerrie’s experience serves as a reminder to all of us to be cautious and vigilant when using any kind of electronic device, especially rechargeable vapes. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Let’s hope that this incident serves as a wake-up call for manufacturers and authorities to take necessary measures to prevent any more cases like this from happening.
