Mum's warning after daughter's vape pen set bedroom on fire
Gregory Robinson
Featured Image Credit: Tracey Collins
A mum has issued an urgent warning to vape users after she found the remnants of a fire in her daughter's bedroom.
After extinguishing the remaining embers in the room, which was filled with smoke, Tracey Collins discovered the cause of the fire.
The 'awareness' post begins: "My daughter woke me at 4am to say there had been a fire. I went to her room where it was thick with smoke.. her windows [were] open and embers still burning.
"I extinguished them.
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"She had no matches or lighters.
"The worst burnt thing was a fleecy hamster pyjama bag.
The mum said her daughter revealed she found a vape pen on the street which she kept in a bag in her room.
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The post continues: "She said there was a vape in there.
"She'd found it in the street 2 wks previously [sic]. It was a disposable vape pen.. not chargeable or on charge.
She adds: "I'm not looking for judgement, parenting advice or opinions.
"I just want to inform and warn that this is what happened to us and it could have been so much worse."
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The post is accompanied with pictures of the damage and the burnt disposable vape pen.
People in the comments were relieved that the mum and her daughter were unharmed and thanked her for sharing the post on social media.
One person commented: "Thank you for highlighting this. Not sure why anyone would judge or give advice. Sounds as if your daughter was very calm and dealt with it well. Hope she’s ok."
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Another Facebook user wrote: "Wow scary! I’m so glad you’re all ok! I think she will have learned a very valuable lesson all on her own there! x"
A parent in the comments section shared their own concerns about disposable vape pens. They wrote: "I keep warning my son about these just for health purposes, didn’t even take into consideration that they could do this! Glad you’re all ok".
While one woman shared: "I’ve had one get extremely hot in my pocket before! Scary to think what could have happened. Glad you are all safe xx".
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Tracey tells Tyla she visited a local fire station to help raise awareness but because she did not have the make and model, they ‘couldn’t do anything’.
“It’s actually terrifying to think how many [vape pens] are in circulation,” Tracey said. “I’m not against vaping… I gave up smoking a year and two months ago with the help of vapes. But things could’ve been so much worse… she woke up because the tiny hairs on her back were burning.
“I normally close her windows before I go to bed… thank God I didn’t that night.”
Tracey also shared that her daughter, who is autistic, lost her weighted blanket that night in the fire and she is now trying to save up enough money to replace it.
E-cigarettes usually contain nicotine and the legal age to use one in the UK is 18.
John Smith, the founder of the Fire Risk Assessment Network, tells Tyla: “Although rare, there have been reports of disposable vape pens exploding and catching fire, which have been due to using a cheap or faulty battery. The risks with vape pens are using poor quality products and poor charging practices.
“As long as you use your disposable vape pen correctly and follow the safety precautions, they are no more dangerous than any other product containing a battery.
“Batteries should be regularly inspected for damage. If any damage is found, the battery should be replaced immediately. Damaged batteries should be disposed of properly and not reused.”