The Lyndhurst Fire Department responded to call at a plastic surgeon's office where an e-cigarette blew up in an employees pocket.
Lyndhurst's Fire Chief Michael Carroll told newsnet5.com he isn't sure how it started, but it's likely keys or something metal rubbing on the device.
Pictures taken at Dr. Rodney Green's Plastic Surgery Center show a charred lab coat and a black and smoldered e-cig, or personal vaporizer.
Carroll said this man got lucky.
"He's very lucky, because there have been other incidents around the country where people have not been that fortunate," Carroll said.
Carroll explained the vaporizing devices can be very dangerous.
"Some of these devices that have exploded have caused fires and done significant damage to people's houses and cars," he said.
According to the U.S. fire administration, the number of incidents like this one are small, considering the millions of Americans who smoke e-cigs. There were 25 when they conducted a study in 2014 and most of them occurred with the battery, or when the batteries were charging.
Riley Gardner, the manager at Euphoria Vapor, told newsnet5 if proper procedures are followed, vaping is safe.
Gardner said it's important to store devices properly and use the proper batteries.
"Buy the correct battery, keep them in a case, or a silicon sleeve, keep them out of your pocket if you have change or keys rattling around in there. It's not a good idea to have any kind of metal with your batteries, " Gardner said.
Many hospitals and medical offices have banned e-cigarettes. newsnet5.com asked employees at the plastic surgeon's office, where this happened, if this will change their policies. They wouldn't comment.
