Cell phone explodes in man's pocket

Vallejo (CA) - A 59-year-old man was found in a California hotel room with second and third degree burns because the cell phone he had in his pocket exploded and started a small fire in the room, according to a story by the Associated Press.

Luis Picaso was admitted to the hospital yesterday with burns to much of the right side of his body. Vallejo, Calif. Fire Department assistant chief Kurt Henke said Picaso was found lying down in the bathroom, his clothes scorched as the result of a malfunctioning cell phone. The fire set off the room’s sprinklers, which prevented it from becoming more widespread.

The story brings back memories of reports last year of exploding laptop batteries manufactured by Sony. Authorities did not release the manufacturer and model of the cell phone.

Henke claimed that total damages from the incident totaled upwards of $75,000, including damage to a business on the ground floor below Picaso’s room. Picaso was in stable condition as of yesterday.