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RESOLVE BID THE TIME
YOU MIGHT BE CARRYING ONE IN
YOUR POCKET RIGHT NOW.
PORTABLE BATTERY PACKS FOR SMART
PHONES AND OTHER DEVICES ARE
EVERYWHERE.
BUT SOME OF THEM COULD BE
PACKING A HIDDEN DANGER.
2 INVESTIGATOR PAM ZECKMAN IS
HERE WITH THIS ORIGINAL REPORT.
PAM.
KATE AND ROB, THE CONSUMER
PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION HAS
HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS INVOLVING
ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHARGING
DEVICE.
OUR STORY TONIGHT, A WOMAN PLUGS
INTO A BATTERY PACK, AND IT JUST
BLOWS UP.
I FELT MY KNEE ACTUALLY
BURNING.
IT SORT OF HAD A FLASHBACK ON MY
JEANS.
THAT'S WHEN I KNEW, WAIT,
SOMETHING IS HAPPENING.
THE AFTER MATH TELLS THE
STORY.
A COUCH AND RUG SKORJED BY
FLAMES.
CHARRED PIECES OF THE BATTERY
PACK ALL OVER THE APARTMENT AND
BURNS TO HER CLOTHING AND SKIN.
VERY SCARY.
VERY SCARY.
GRACE WAS USING A
RECHARGEABLE DEVICE LIKE THIS
ONE.
SHE SAYS THAT WHEN SHE WENT TO
PLUG IN THE USB CORD, THE
BATTERY BLEW UP.
IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST.
I TURNED AROUND, AND MY COUCH
WAS ON FIRE, FULL-ON FLAMES.
GRACE BOUGHT THE SOUND LOGIC
XT POWER CELL FOR $30.
SHE'S IN CONTACT WITH THE
IMPORT, MIDWEST TRADING GROUP,
REGARDING COMPENSATION FOR HER
DAMAGES, WHICH SHE ESTIMATES TO
BE ABOUT $2,500.
ANOTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINT WE
SAW RECENTLY IN ILLINOIS, A
CHARGER CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
SAME BRAND, SOUND LOGIC.
THE REPORT STATES IT EXPLODED
AND CAUGHT FIRE, BURNING TWO
SIGNIFICANT HOLES IN OUR BEDROOM
CARPET.
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HAVE CELL
PHONES AND MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR
THESE KINDS OF CHARGERS,
POTENTIALLY A BIG PROBLEM?
YES.
IT CERTAINLY COULD BE A BIG
PROBLEM.
I THINK THE MARKET FOR THESE
CHARGERS IS GROWING, AND IF THE
MARKET IS -- CONTINUES TO BE
FILLED WITH CHEAP PRODUCTS, WE
COULD SEE MORE OF THESE
INCIDENTS IN COMING MONTHS.
ALREADY, THE CONSUMER PRODUCT
SAFETY COMMISSION HAS 540
RECALLS OR COMPLAINTS INVOLVING
ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHARGING
DEVICES.
THE FACT THAT THESE THINGS
COULD COME BUST AT ANY POINT IS
FRIGHTENING, AND I WOULD SAY TO
THE EXTENT PEOPLE HAVE THEM, I
WOULD NOT KEEP THEM PLUGGED IN
WHEN YOU'RE NOT NEARBY AND
PAYING ATTENTION TO IT.
AS FOR GRACE, SHE'S JUST
THANKFUL THE BATTERY EXPLOSION
WASN'T WORSE.
HAD I BEEN ON AN AIRPLANE OR
IF I HAD SMALL KIDS THAT WERE
AROUND, YES, THAT WOULD HAVE
BEEN EXTREMELY FRIGHTENING.
THE COMPANY THAT IMPORTS THE
SOUND LOGIC CHARGER SAYS IT
CAN'T BE SURE GRACE PURCHASED
ONE OF THEIR ITEMS BECAUSE SHE
DOESN'T HAVE THE RECEIPT, BUT
THEY'RE WORKING TO COMPENSATE
HER AND WILL TALK WITH THE OTHER
COMPLAINANT.
A SPOKESMAN SAID THE CHARGERS
HAVE PROVEN TO BE VERY SAFE WHEN
USED CORRECTLY AND HAVE LESS
THAN A ONE IN A MILLION FAILURE
RATE.
IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS DOES
HAPPEN TO YOU, REPORT IT TO THE