E-cigarette battery ‘exploded like a flare’ in N.B. man’s pocket, causing burns

RIVERVIEW, N.B. — A New Brunswick man who suffered serious burns from an e-cigarette battery that went off like a flare in his pocket is warning others about the risks of careless vaping.

Wayne Walker says he was sitting at his desk at work when the pocket on his jacket suddenly burst into flames.

He says he had a spare battery in his pocket along with car keys when it exploded, leaving him with painful burns on his leg and abdomen.

Moncton Fire Marshal Charles LeBlanc says any lithium battery, like the ones used in computers and phones, can explode into flames if it comes into contact with metal and shorts out.