We have witnessed a fair share of battery debacles on gadgets, with the recent one being on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. A Reddit user by the name White Panda uploaded a video wherein a 2015 Retina 15-inch MacBook Pro has exploded and caught fire. Video below shows the MacBook Pro lying on the ground after the explosion.
My MacBook Pro exploded today during normal use. No injuries, luckily. Some damage to the house. Could have been worse – good thing I wasn’t on a plane.
Very curious to see how @Apple responds.@MacRumors @TechCrunch @9to5mac pic.twitter.com/pjmpv5Mx9b
— White Panda (@whitepanda) May 29, 2019
White Panda explained how toxic fumes filled up his home and triggered fire alarms. Thankfully no one was harmed, but the house did sustain some damages. He claims that the MacBook Pro caught fire during normal use and the laptop was not subject to any modification.
Yesterday afternoon my MacBook Pro exploded during normal use. It was on my lap, plugged in, and suddenly started to spew smoke out both sides. I quickly placed it on the floor where it popped, the smoke increased, and it caught fire.
The user explained how he visited the local Apple store and was informed that nothing could be done for the next 24 hours. The laptop was then placed in a fire-proof safe. The folks at the Apple Store assured that they would get back to White Panda within 24 hours with a plan/update detailing the future steps.
When White Panda didn’t get a call back in the next 24 hours he revisited the Apple Store. This time around he was told that the matter had been “escalated” and he should hear within five days.
They did not call. I reached out today and was told it had been “escalated” and I should hear something within FIVE days. I produce music for a living – FIVE days without my computer is unacceptable. It seemed like a worthwhile piece of information to share with the world, so there you have it.
White Panda also mentions that both the trackpad and the display had recently been replaced, however, the repair was carried out by Apple store and no third party was involved. We are also not sure whether or not White Panda was issued a standby laptop. In my personal experience, folks at Apple are pretty diligent when it comes to issuing standby devices in case of major repairs/replacements.
Our Take
Thermal events are a rare occurrence. But every instance needs to be analyzed in isolation. Thermal Events also happen when laptops are exposed to high temperatures or charged with duplicate chargers. The following steps should help safeguard your MacBook from such events.
- Don’t expose the laptop to direct sun or leave it in a car
- Every now and then, check the laptop battery for a bulge or any other anomalies
- Don’t compromise on the charger, always use the genuine ones
- Before tossing your laptop in a bag, make sure it is powered off
