Death by e-cig/battery accident

Tragic incident--RIP. There are a number of articles out there. Here are three. Apparently an unregulated mod. Very sad and likely to further scare the smokers who are not properly vape-educated and be considered as ammo by the anti-vaping establishment

1. Fox news
Florida man dies in e-cigarette explosion, police say | FOX31 Denver

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — An explosion from an electronic cigarette has killed a man in St. Petersburg, Florida, according to authorities who are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.

Tallmadge D’Elia, 38, was found dead this month after a fire alarm went off at his home and officers arrived on the scene, according to his autopsy report. Officials found him with a wound to his top lip area and areas of burns to his body. His death has been ruled accidental.

The cause of death is identified as a projectile wound to the head, Bill Pellan, director of investigations at the Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office, said Tuesday.

The projectile was from a section of an e-cigarette. The autopsy noted that the e-cigarette was manufactured by Smok-E Mountain and was a “mod” type device.

E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that produce an aerosol by heating a liquid, usually containing nicotine, flavorings and other chemicals, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Users inhale the aerosol.

More than one in every 10 adults has tried an e-cigarette even just one time, according to the CDC. E-cigarettes can come in many shapes and sizes; some are made to look like regular cigarettes, while others are larger devices such as tank systems or “mods.”

The exact causes of e-cigarette explosion incidents sometimes are unclear, but evidence suggests that battery-related issues may lead to explosions, according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

E-cigarettes that are similar in size and shape to traditional cigarettes come with a smaller wattage unit and therefore may not have the power to fail as dramatically, said Thomas Kiklas, chief financial officer of the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association.

Larger vaporizers — such as the device found in the St. Petersburg case — come with much larger and more powerful batteries.

“The two major causes of dramatic failures with the larger units are overcharging of the battery and then the shorting of the battery,” Kiklas said.

“Lithium ion batteries fail in other devices as well, but in a laptop, it’s on your lap,” he said. “In this case, with an e-vapor product, it’s close to the face.”

Though such incidents are rare, this isn’t the first time a spontaneous e-cigarette explosion has raised concerns.

There were 195 separate e-cigarette fire and explosion incidents in the United States reported by the media between 2009 and 2016, according to data released last year by the US Fire Administration.

For example, in 2015, an e-cigarette exploded in a man’s face in Naples, Florida, burning his face, chest, hands and lungs. In 2016, an e-cigarette exploded in a New York man’s pants pocket. He suffered third-degree burns.

Also that year, a 14-year-old girl had mild to moderate burns after an e-cigarette exploded in the pocket of a person nearby while on a Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.

None of those cases was fatal.

Kiklas said there are two steps e-cigarette users can take to avoid the risk of an explosion.

“We’ve put the caution out before,” Kiklas said.

“Make sure that you use the charger that comes with the battery, and make sure the charger has a shutoff device, an automatic shutoff device, so it’s not overcharged. That’s typically the biggest issue which causes batteries to fail,” he said. “And two, never carry a battery alone, out of its case, in your pocket with change or keys, because that’s another way the batteries can short themselves out.”

The FDA also recommends replacing batteries if they get damaged or wet.
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2. TMZ
TV Producer Killed After E-Cigarette Explodes, Burned 80% of His Body | TMZ.com

A former CNBC producer was killed when his e-cigarette exploded and lodged in his skull ... according to an autopsy.

Tallmadge Wakeman D'Elia died on Cinco de Mayo in St. Petersburg, FL after his vape pen ignited a fire in his bedroom. The autopsy results just came out and reportedly showed the e-cig not only exploded and sparked the blaze, but it also made a "projectile wound" in D'Elia's skull.

The 38 year old's vape pen was reportedly a device made in the Philippines that is unregulated and not recommended for beginners. It is still unclear what caused the pen to explode.

FEMA, which keeps stats on electronic cigarettes, says D'Elia's death is the first in the U.S. caused by a vape pen.
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3. The Daily Dot
Autopsy Confirms First E-Cigarette Explosion Death

A 38-year-old man in Florida was killed in what appears to be the first death caused by an e-cigarette explosion. An autopsy report released last week confirms the exploding vape pen sent projectiles into his head and started a small house fire.

Tallmadge D’Elia was found by firefighters in the burning bedroom of his family home on May 5. The cause of death was listed as “projectile wound of head,” resulting from the explosion that sent two pieces of the pen into his cranium. He also suffered “thermal injuries” or burns to about 80 percent of his body. The incident was ruled an accident.

According to the report, the pen he used was a “mod” type, or a modified e-cigarette designed to be customizable. Typically, more experienced users purchase mods to enhance the battery or functionality of the device. The mod pen, distributed by Smok-E Mountain, is manufactured in the Philippines. The company’s Facebook page is no longer active, though other retailers are still selling Smok-E Mountain-branded mods.

A spokesperson for Smok-E Mountain told ABC affiliate WFTS that the problem had to do with the atomizer (the top piece you put in your mouth) or the battery.

This is thought to be the first recorded death caused by a vape pen explosion. Similar incidents have occurred in the past, resulting in serious injuries. A report from the U.S. Fire Administration blames 195 incidents from 2009 to 2016 on e-cigs exploding or catching fire, resulting in 133 injuries of which 38 were severe.

These incidents are typically attributed to the device’s lithium-ion battery. When batteries heat up due to inadequate venting, a chemical reaction occurs that causes them to heat up even more. This cycle continues until the energy produced needs to escape. The reaction is called thermal runaway, and it results in explosions or fires.

“No other consumer product places a battery with a known explosion hazard such as this in such close proximity to the human body,” the U.S. Fire Administration report notes. “It is this intimate contact between the body and the battery that is most responsible for the severity of the injuries that have been seen. While the failure rate of the lithium-ion batteries is very small, the consequences of a failure, as we have seen, can be severe and life-altering for the consumer.”

While the long-term effects of smoking e-cigarettes continue to be debated, it’s clear the electronic mechanisms of the devices put users in danger. There are currently no regulations ensuring the safety of e-cigarette batteries and components, the U.S. Fire Administration points out. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has a guide with tips on avoiding e-cig explosions, is reportedly considering safety legislation.