05/08/2026
iPad brought in with a raised screen. Two seconds later, one of the cells caught fire and spat out 5 foot flames. There is no way to put out these flames when they go up. The best option is sand/dirt and try and remove outside.
This happened so quickly. The only safe option was to get on the floor and cover with sand asap.
While dropping it to the floor, the other cell exsploded. Luckily, we have a bucket of sand ready, and this contained the flames inside the cells. This is super rare, and the customer is very lucky this did not go of in the car as this would be a very different post. We have only had this happen once before with a phone in 15 years, and that battery was 3 x smaller. Do not ignor swollen batterys, if this was in a house unattended, this could set a room alight in seconds. I have walked past this sand every day, forgetting it was there never needing it, without that there this could have been a different story. Luckily, we have procedures, and it was contained in under 30 seconds, and the only problem was the thick smoke we had to air .Im putting this out there as a reminder that even though very rare, it does happen, and knowing what to do is important. Normal fire extinguishers won't put a chemical reaction out. but covering it with sand or dirt will contain it and stop the flames and debris spitting out. If this happened at home, i would get it on the floor or outside if possible and cover with a pot plant 😆. Dont ignore a swollen battery. 9 out of 10 times, it's fine. This is the 1 in 10.
