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Man Claims Flaming iPhone 7 Killed His Car, Pants

Apple users might feel insulated from the exploding batteries currently fueling Samsung’s Note 7 nightmare, but a new story of out of south Australia serves as a helpful reminder that true safety is just an illusion. On Thursday, surf instructor Mat Jones told Australia’s 7 News that an iPhone 7 he left in his car wrapped in a pair of pants caught on fire, taking both the pants and the car with it.

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“As I looked into my car, you could not see inside the car, like all the windows were just black,” said Jones. “Ash was just coming from inside the pants which once you wrapped open the pants the phone was just melting inside of it.”

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Of course, any lithium phone battery has the potential to explode if damaged, overheated or overcharged, but Jones claims he hasn’t used a third-party charger or dropped the iPhone since buying it last week. And while Jones was giving a surfing lesson when the fire began, he said he has “no doubt” the phone was the source of the fire.

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Until we know more, it’s impossible to say if the fire was a symptom of bigger issue or just a cautionary tale about complacency. Either way, an Apple spokesperson told Gizmodo they are in touch with the customer and are looking into the issue.

[Yahoo 7]