Vaper's Battery Explodes in His Pocket, Setting off Vape Fireworks Display

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When an e-cigarette battery explodes, it sends vibrant sparks shooting everywhere. It looks cool. But, when that happens in your pocket, it burns you badly, as one man in Toulouse, France, unfortunately found out.

Footage captured by Closed Caption Television shows Amine Britel enjoying a few drags from his vape pen outside of the nightclub he owns, when suddenly the device’s spare battery bursts into flames.

The initial blaze looks like fireworks, though the flash enveloping Britel caused severe burns across his abdomen. He told The Daily Mail: 'I have second-degree burns on my stomach and my jacket melted around my finger where I tried to put the fire out,' adding that he was lucky to be wearing a cotton-shirt, as opposed to a much more flammable synthetic shirt.

While his treatment for the burns will take weeks, he noted that he plans on suing the Chinese manufacturer of his vape pen, which he purchased in a local shop nearby his nightclub: “I bought the battery in a local shop in Toulouse, but I have nothing against them. But I'm a little upset about the Chinese brand, who could have been clearer about the risks that users are facing.”

So if you ever needed motivation to put down your vape and quit smoking the old fashioned way, there you have it.

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Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist. He's also a martial arts and music nerd who appreciates a fine sandwich and cute dogs. Find his clips in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club and Vice. He's on Twitter @Blumnessmonster.