Man Claims iPod Set His Pants Aflame

alphadogg writes to mention that an Atlanta man is claiming an iPod Nano actually caught fire in his pants creating flames that lasted 15 seconds and reached up as far as his chest. Apple hasn't responded to the claims yet other than sending him a packet to return the iPod.

Liar!

[by Anonymous Coward]

Liar liar pant's on fire!

Oh, wait... let me get you some water.

Re:Liar!

[TheRaven64 (641858)]

If the fire is caused by a lithium battery, what would the effects of pouring on water be?

Re:Liar!

[idontgno (624372)]

Sir Bedivere: "What do we burn, apart from lithium batteries?"

Peasant: "More lithium batteries!"

Re:Liar!

[Provocateur (133110)]

Who said anything about pouring it? The guy was just thirsty, with or without burning pants.

Re:Liar!

[or-switch (1118153)]

Probably nothing. It doesn't contain lithium metal,which is quite explosive on contact with water. The 'ion' in Lithium ion means it's in it's +1 state and would dissolve in the water like a salt

Re:Liar!

[Matteo522 (996602)]

But the +1 means it can hit incorporeal creatures, right?

that does seem possible according to the photos

[by Anonymous Coward]

there are supposedly photos here: http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/05/ipod-nana-spews-chest-high-flames-from-trousers-lawsuit-at/ [engadget.com]

I am noticing that the guy is pretty short on smoke damage for the kind of flames described. Burning plastic, which would be involved here produces copious amounts of sticky black smoke, and I'm not seeing much of any. Not to mention the fact that his pocket liner seems to be more or less unharmed. IIRC the burning temperature of Lithium is higher than that of cotton.

Re:that does seem possible according to the photos

[budgenator (254554)]

I was on fire for at least 15 seconds, maybe more it's hard to tell with traumatic amnesia. I don't remember catching on fire, but I remember smothering foot high flames with my shirt sleeve for 15 seconds, then I remember pulling my hand out of a bucket of water that was across the room, so I can speak with some authority when I say if what he said happened, happened he'd look more like I did. [comcast.net] I'm calling bullshit on that one, a slight scald from a overly warm battery sure, foot high flames stopped by "glossy" paper yeah right, sounds more like a bullshit entry to the Liability Lottery to me.

Re:that does seem possible according to the photos

[chimpo13 (471212)]

Several years ago, I was splashed with gasoline and set on fire while wearing a polyester Hawaiian shirt. No damage was done to me or the shirt. I slapped it out. It happened twice because the girl I was with thought it was funny so she did it again. It was funny. I'm sorry about what happened to you, that looks like a lot of damage, but fire does strange things.

Re:that does seem possible according to the photos

[goldspider (445116)]

"It happened twice because the girl I was with thought it was funny so she did it again."

Ummm.... where do I start?

Re:that does seem possible according to the photos

[Red Flayer (890720)]

Nowhere.

[Girl who uses accelerant to set me on fire] >>> [absence of girl].

Duh.

Re:that does seem possible according to the photos

[k1e0x (1040314)]

I was splashed with gasoline and set on fire while wearing a polyester Hawaiian shirt. -- It happened twice because the girl I was with thought it was funny so she did it again.

Dammed kids these days.. back in my day we would just huff the gas, but oooh no, not today, thats to old fashion, gotta take everything the the extreme now.

Re:that does seem possible according to the photos

[ozbird (127571)]

Dammed kids these days.. back in my day we would just huff the gas, but oooh no, not today, thats to old fashion, gotta take everything the the extreme now.

Back in the day, kids used to be sharing, and took turns at setting each other on fire. Nowadays it's just me, me, me...

Re:that does seem possible according to the photos

[muellerr1 (868578)]

Just because we have chisled abs and stunning features, does not mean we to can't not die in a freak gasoline fight accident.

Re:that does seem possible according to the photos

[flyingsquid (813711)]

I'm calling bullshit on that one, a slight scald from a overly warm battery sure, foot high flames stopped by "glossy" paper yeah right, sounds more like a bullshit entry to the Liability Lottery to me.

"Ok, uh, we found this mouse in a bottle of Elsinore beer that we bought at your beer store, eh? And we heard that when that happens you get your beer free."

Re:that does seem possible according to the photos

[Goaway (82658)]

The piece of paper looks a lot like a receipt printed on a thermo printer. That paper will turn black at temperatures lower than boiling water, much less fire. Looks like the li-ion batter failed and got hot, but never caught on fire. Had it done so, he'd be wearing a lot more bandages.

Jerry lee + Leewis

[F4_W_weasel (989270)]

I bet he was listening to
Great Balls of fire

Well well well...

[Burning1 (204959)]

Let me be the first to ask... Did he happen to be hanging from telephone wire when this incident occurred?

The obvious joke...

[parkrrrr (30782)]

He's obviously lying.

His pants are on fire.

Re:

[mollog (841386)]

Headline: Burning Man Festival, Atlanta GA

obligatory

[Pieisexaclty3 (944949)]

In Soviet Russia music burns you.

Well, obviously

[overshoot (39700)]

... he needs to sue his dry-cleaners.

Re:Well, obviously

[UbuntuDupe (970646)]

No, I think the dry-cleaners definitely held up their end of keeping the clothes dry LOL MIRITE.

(Poster to follow up with an explanation of why it's called "dry"-cleaning in 3...2...)

Re:Well, obviously

[by Anonymous Coward]

Dry cleaning uses non-water-based solvents to remove dirt and stains from clothes. The potential for using petroleum based solvents in this manner was first discovered in the mid-19th century by French dye-works owner Jean Baptiste Jolly, who noticed that his tablecloth became cleaner after his maid spilled kerosene on it, and from this observation developed a service to clean other people's clothes in this manner, which he termed "nettoyage à sec," or "dry cleaning" in English.

Apple hasn't responded

[Phroggy (441)]

Apple hasn't responded to the claims yet other than sending him a packet to return the iPod.

Nor should they. They haven't seen it yet. What could they possibly say that would be in any way constructive?

Re:Apple hasn't responded

[Burpmaster (598437)]

They haven't seen it yet. What could they possibly say that would be in any way constructive?

"Pics or it didn't happen!"

Re:Apple hasn't responded

[Shivetya (243324)]

told him its his fault for installing 3rd party applications?

hmmm

[LiquidCoooled (634315)]

I was sure I posted in here earlier but its vanished..
Found it again from my comments but not here

His playlist included:

                The Doors, Light my Fire

                The Prodigy, Firestarter

                Madonna, Burning up

Currently playing though was

                James Brown, Hot pants.

The burning question...

[fohat (168135)]

Will this be followed up with a story about an Apple manager stating:
"We didn't start the Fire..."?

Re:hmmm

[Chris Burke (6130)]

Currently playing though was

                                James Brown, Hot pants.

Followed fifteen seconds later by:

Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire

Trousers aflame

[ackthpt (218170)]

Fifteen seconds? Count that out one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, ... or use the second hand from a watch. That's a pretty damn long time.

hmm, my testicles appear to be alight. I suppose I might have to do something about that one of these days...

The fire reached to his chest? I'm wondering what else he had in his pocket, perhaps a butane lighter. Even if I hooked an electrical cord to a 2032 Li-ion cell I seriously doubt the flames would go more than 3 inches. Usually batteries go because the current draw is very high. Perhaps polyester clothing could contribute to his misfortune, but glossy paper in his pocket protected him from severe burns? I think we'll have to see what the nano looked like afterwards before really passing any judgement, but this is just about as amazing as the finger in the Wendy's Chili.

Re:Trousers aflame

[grimJester (890090)]

Fifteen seconds? Count that out one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, ... or use the second hand from a watch. That's a pretty damn long time.

We should make one movie with a guy just casually checking his watch for 15 seconds while his pants go up in flames and another with the guy going completely crazy swatting his burning pants, rolling around on the ground screaming like a maniac, then take a survey to see which one is more realistic.

Re:Trousers aflame

[The Wing Lover (106357)]

We should make one movie with a guy just casually checking his watch for 15 seconds while his pants go up in flames and another with the guy going completely crazy swatting his burning pants, rolling around on the ground screaming like a maniac,

"Hi, I'm a Mac." "And I'm a PC."

Re:Trousers aflame

[zippthorne (748122)]

Indeed. Glossy paper protected him?

Glossy paper is little more than hydrocarbon steeped cellulose fibers, I fail to see how "chest high flames" would've been stopped by glossy paper. Also why they would apparently fail to burn anything but a little bit of the inside of his pocket. I mean, they'd have to go through his pants to reach chest-high, wouldn't they?

It's far more likely that it was a slow burn, which the paper did slightly insulate him from, but which when he finally noticed was hot enough to slightly char the inside of his pocket and the paper. The "chest high flame" could be attributed to misremembering the event due to shock. I know I've poorly recalled a minor accident I was in, once. (Poorly recalled right after. After I had time to think about it, I'm pretty sure I remember correctly, but at the time it seemed much worse than it was)

Collect the evidence

[athloi (1075845)]

Apple hasn't responded to the claims yet other than sending him a packet to return the iPod.

"Your Honor, we cannot reproduce the allegedly malfunctioning device at this time."

Goodness gracious

[RLiegh (247921)]

...great balls of fire!

He sat on it

[dedazo (737510)]

It bent, the battery ruptured, the lithium reacted with the air. Fire. Possible? I doubt it was spontaneous like the Dell laptops.

This was avoidable

[Rude Turnip (49495)]

He should have picked a color other than pink and settled for fabulous instead of flaming.

Next week, on Mythbusters...

[Opportunist (166417)]

Seriously. That's something to be picked up! Almost begs to be. I wouldn't deem it impossible that Apple actually sponsored it.

They did it for sales...

[spazmolytic666 (549909)]

They set him on fire for downloading non-itunes music to his ipod, imagine what they'll do to the iphone hackers!

best. tag. ever

[by Anonymous Coward]

I think everyone should tag this ipwned.

Hot device

[Ilan Volow (539597)]

Must be the firewire model.

Prediction

[DigiShaman (671371)]

I predict that the FAA will ban any and all devices that use lithium ion battery technology. They can't risk one of these devices turning into something of Thermite while in flight.

Quite possibly

[overshoot (39700)]

They can't risk one of these devices turning into something of Thermite while in flight.

That makes sense, since that kind of Security Theater wouldn't be nearly as hard to implement as stopping people from carrying on kilograms of real thermite.

Mod Apple down ...

[by Anonymous Coward]

... for making flamebait products. :)

Apple's old slogan said it all

[hcdejong (561314)]

Rip. Mix. Burn.

Re:what did he expect?

[Provocateur (133110)]

Yes but in mailing the packet they decided to choose standard delivery, not priority overnight! Meanwhile the guy is without pants! Without music!

I feel your pain!

It's a feature

[grimJester (890090)]

Apparently the flames are invisible so people will think you're dancing.

Re:Knowing Apple

[aymanh (892834)]

You remind me of this Dilbert strip [unitedmedia.com].

Re:Pants?

[Bob-taro (996889)]

british(pants,trousers) american(underwear,pants)

Interesting. So what does "iPod" mean in british?