In an unfortunate incident, a 17-year old girl from Birmingham, England, suffered burn injuries after her iPhone charger caught fire. After catching fire, it spread to the blanket, and her cheeks got burned.

The girl, Amie Hall, had kept her iPhone charging right before going to bed. Before falling asleep, she noticed “flashing orange” flames from the blanket. It seems like the charger was in close contact with the blanket. It is very common to keep our iPhones for a charge on the bed as it doubles up as an alarm.

Thankfully the girl was yet to sleep, and the danger was averted. After realizing her blanket had caught flames, she hurried downstairs and sought her mother’s assistance. Soon enough, her mother could contain and finally extinguish the fire without having to call the firefighters.

The teen’s mother said, “I would just like to spread the word to please make sure people take note – it could have been a lot worse.” She also advised people not to leave their phones on charge overnight and shared an image of the burns. Furthermore, Annie claims that it is a genuine Apple charger and not “a cheap charger.” She also adds, “f I was asleep this could have been a lot worse and this could have set my whole family home up with all my family in..”

Our Take

Apple has reached out to the victim and is gathering details. We know very little at this point, and it would be premature to blame anyone. Most of the time, fake or uncertified third-party chargers are to be blamed. However, sometimes external factors like fluctuations in electric supply and eventually fry the charger. Even worn out cables can cause this issue.

The best way to avoid such mishaps is by ensuring there are no flammable materials next to your iPhone when it is charging overnight. Previously, a lawsuit named Apple after an iPad caught fire and a man was killed.