Teen Suffers Second-Degree Burns After iPhone Catches Fire In Her Pocket

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A 14-year-old Maine girl suffered second-degree burns caused by her iPhone 5C bursting into flames.

The Portland Press Herald reports that the eighth-grader was waiting for her first-period class to start when the incident occurred. She and nearby friends heard a pop come from her two-month-old phone, which was in her pocket at the time.

Immediately, smoke starts billowing from around the student,” Jeff Rodman, the school’s principal, told the Portland Press Herald. “She knew right away something was wrong and, in a panic, knew her pants were on fire caused by the cellphone.”

The unnamed girl thought quickly and used the “stop, drop and roll” tactic to reduce the flames. Then, with help from female classmates, she took off her still-burning pants.

The girl was taken to a nearby hospital, treated for second-degree burns and released after about 45 minutes, according to her mother, Judy Milligan. And the teen still hadn’t lost her cool. She asked to return to class after leaving the hospital, but she stayed home at the encouragement of school officials and health care workers.

She’s very calm, just a calm person,” her mother said.

It’s unsure why the iPhone caught fire, but the incident likely had to do with the device’s battery. Phone batteries have been known to ignite in very rare cases. However, the fires usually occur when the phone is charging, and they usually happen in older phones rather than nearly new ones.