Posted on 08/24/2006 7:33:02 AM PDT by stainlessbanner
SHAWNEE, Kan. -- Firefighters were called to a home in Kansas Wednesday morning after a laptop computer burst into flames.
Paul Kupperman said his wife, Juli, was at their Shawnee home reading e-mail on a different computer when the Sony Vaio laptop computer caught fire.
"Flames started to shoot out from all different directions," Juli Kupperman said.
She put out the fire with a fire extinguisher and called him at work to tell him what happened.
"(The laptop) burst into flames again while she was on the phone with me. So I dropped the phone and called 911 and started for home. She had it put out on the driveway by the time everyone got here," Paul Kupperman said.
Kupperman said his laptop computer was turned off, but was charging at the time of the fire. He said the only damage was a smudge on the wall and fire extinguisher dust on the furniture.
Juli Kupperman said she's learned her lesson.
"I would say don't leave your laptop plugged in when you're not right there with them," she said.
Laptop fires are not new. Earlier this month, Dell recalled 4.1 million notebook computer batteries because they can overheat and catch fire. The batteries were made by Sony and placed in notebooks that were shipped between April 2004 and July 18.
The Kuppermans' laptop used a Sony lithium-ion battery, which is a different battery than the one recalled.
For more about Dell's recall, visit their Web site or call (866) 342-0011.
It's pandemic. Now Sony laptops.
I hate it when that happens...
Okey Dokey,
Marking THAT brand of laptop off my shopping list.
IBM Thinkpad
Puts new meaning to the expression "I know I'm gonna get flamed for this..."
Thinkpads aren't IBM anymore. They're Lenovo--a Chinese company.
Double check the types of batteries being used. Sony batteries are the common factor.
Thanks....
sorta like looking under the hood of a car "I want to see the battery please!!"
I know but still a quality product
those batteries are known to be dangerous fires etc, those of us that fly RC airplanes have known this for some time...
With Quantas in the lead, it is only a matter of weeks
before you will not be able to fly with anything
containing lithium batteries, carry-on or checked.
Batteries are already suspect in one cargo plane that
burned up after landing, and several in-flight incidents
that didn't result in disaster.
Unless the computer industry gets a major handle on
this, and fast, life is going to get even more
inconvenient for travelers.
And the no-name after-market batteries, and
countefeit brand-name batteries need extra attention.
its the lithium-ion pretty unstable.
911 Operator: "This is 911, do you have an emergency?"
Caller: "Dude, I got a Dell!"
911 Operator: "I'll get the fire trucks rolling your way..."
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