Most of the electronic gadgets we use are powered by lithium-ion batteries, and very occasionally, those lithium-ion batteries can malfunction. When they do, they have a tendency to burn or explode, and the results can be catastrophic. Exhibit A: Security camera footage from a plastic fabrication company in Letchworth, England.
The video shows an HP Envy laptop catching fire when left on charge overnight, eventually burning down the owner’s entire office. As spotted by Motherboard, some models of HP Envy laptops are under recall by HP due to faulty batteries, which “have the potential to overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to customers.”
Steve Paffett, the owner of the plastic fabrication company and also the laptop, told his local newspaper that he “was sat at that seat earlier that day and I swear it would have taken my face off or killed me.” He said he was woken up by the intruder alarm for his office, which was triggered by the fire. He logged onto the CCTV app and saw the fire, and called emergency services before running to the office and fighting the fire with extinguishers. By the time the firefighters arrived, the damage was done.
“The ground floor is ruined, all the stock is written off – luckily none of it caught fire, but it’s just covered in smoke – the whole building is filthy and reeks. The fire and ambulance crews were amazing and could not have done more under the circumstances. I’ve already been given a small insurance payment – just enough to continue to trade – but it’s not quite the same thing as being able to get on with your day,” Paffett told The Comet.
