Elf Bar Vape From China Explodes During Charging Just a Few Feet Away From Baby; Are E-Cigarette Explosions Prevalent?

A security camera at a home was able to capture a frightening moment: an Elf Bar vape exploding just a couple of feet away from a baby seated on a high chair.

Elf Bar Vape Explodes Near Baby

The footage was taken by a ring camera within a living room. It shows a baby facing a counter where the vape was being charged.

According to the mother, she went to the pantry to get a snack for her baby when a loud sound banged. She saw fire bursting from the e-cigarette just two feet away from her baby, who apparently was not hurt but visibly scared due to the incident. The sparks were launching towards the dangling legs of the child and quickly became flames that consumed a tiny tabletop area. The mother quickly went to her baby and moved her away from the fire. She then went back to get a spray bottle to stop the flames.

Lithium Batteries

Like the majority of e-cigarettes, an Elf Bar has a lithium battery that may explode when it turns too hot due to direct sunlight exposure or overcharging.

Though the incident just lasted for a couple of seconds, it serves as a grave reminder that vapes, despite being small, could lead to deadly impacts if issues with their lithium batteries surface.

E-cigarettes depend on a battery for powering the heating coil, which heats the electric liquid within the device for it to be turned into vapor inhaled by users. Manufacturers typically go for lithium batteries for the production of lightweight and slim products that retain power in between charges.

For most electronic products, lithium-ion batteries are relatively safe because of strict regulations. However, they pose risks to the unregulated vape industry, mainly in China.

ALSO READ: E-Cigarette Flavors May Cause Measurable Damage to Lungs, Experts Say

E-Cigarette Explosions

In recent e-cigarette innovations, the first device was made in 2003 by Hon Lik, a Chinese pharmacist and the former deputy director of the Institute of Chinese Medicine.

The products then entered the US market in 2007. However, takeoff took another seven years. This was when explosion reports started surfacing.

In 2019, a man in Texas died due to his exploding vape. The incident led to a cut in his neck artery. He was just vaping in his car parked outside the Smoke & Vape DZ Store, just moments after he bought the device. The shrapnel from the exploding device penetrated his neck's left carotid artery. It cut off blood from his brain.

Last year, a woman also fell victim to an Elf Bar explosion. She shared on a forum post that she bought a Crystal Elf Bar and charged it while putting it on her bed. She shares that she went to bed and that, around 30 minutes later, she unplugged the vape to taste. She says that the taste was like vomit. She then plugged it back in, and then, after five minutes, the vape exploded and started emitting bad smoke. A six-inch deep hole was burned on her mattress, which was on fire.

According to a 2023 study, the US emergency department saw 2,035 e-cigarette explosion admissions from 2015 to 2017. Most of them were men with a mean age of 30.

El Bar is the world's most popular e-cigarette. In June 2023, 180 stores all over the US were called by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to stop selling these Elf Bar vapes. The FDA has not approved such vapes and they have been previously linked to health issues, such as heart issues, lung damage, and it may also lead the young to explore other drugs.