A Phoenix family has a safety warning about leaving electronic cigarette batteries in your pocket after a man suffered second-degree burns when the battery exploded in his shorts.
Kalee Hamilton showed us the shorts her boyfriend was wearing that day—they're now ripped in to shreds.
She said the e-cig's lithium battery exploded in Shiloh Inostroza's pocket while he was at work last month.
“He walked behind the counter, and next thing you know, his boss is telling him, 'Bro, your pants are on fire,'” Hamiton said.
She said nothing was in his pocket besides the battery.
“It burned a hole straight through the pocket," Hamilton said.
She said nothing was left of the battery because it melted into his leg, along with his shorts.
“Very, very scary," Hamilton said. "Once I actually saw it, it sunk in to reality that 'Oh my gosh! he could've lost his leg."
Inostroza is now back at work after taking a week off to recover.
Now the family is urging people to learn how to be safe when using e-cigs. She doesn’t think keeping the battery in your pocket is a good idea.
“We got it [the electronic cigarette] out of the house because we have two little ones," Hamilton said. God forbid if it blows up in our house."
Hamilton said the family has medical bills that are racking up. If you'd like to help with his medical expenses, click here.
